Department for Transport

Transport: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress his Department has made on increasing the use of renewable energy in transport in Greater Manchester.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) is the UK’s primary mechanism for meeting our targets for renewable energy in transport. The target is national and we do not require fuel suppliers to break down their reported volumes of renewable transport fuel supplied by local authority area. The volume of biofuel supplied under the RTFO has increased from 2.7 per cent of fuel supplied in its first year (2008/09) to 3.46 per cent in 2013/14. Over this period average greenhouse savings of biofuels supplied relative to petrol and diesel increased from 46 per cent to 69 per cent (without taking account of emissions from indirect land use change). In addition, Manchester has benefited from nearly £20 million of funding through the green bus fund to support operators in purchasing 278 hybrid and electric Low Carbon Emission Buses, those supported by the scheme are capable of delivering the equivalent of a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to the average Euro 3 diesel bus with the same total passenger capacity. With £0.917 million support from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles, Transport for Greater Manchester has installed a total of 266 publicly accessible charge-points for electric vehicles (in car parks, supermarkets, etc) between the last quarter of 2012 to the middle of 2014. It is also worth noting that Transport for Greater Manchester has received over £37 million in funding as part of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund from 2011-15. To be awarded funding, Manchester needed to demonstrate how their proposed sustainable transport programme would grow the local economy whilst also reducing carbon emissions. Manchester also received £20m as one of the Cycling Ambition cities, which seeks to bring about a step-change in cycling levels in the city.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how residents affected by the plans for High Speed 2 will be informed of the appointment of a residents commissioner.

Mr Robert Goodwill: An announcement about the appointment of the Residents’ Commissioner will be made shortly. This will be accompanied by a press release and letters to residents affected by the plans. The press release will be published on the Government’s website.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when communities will be informed about (a) the likely start date for construction works for High Speed 2 (Phase 1) in their area and (b) the length of time such construction works are planned to take.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Indicative construction programmes for each Community Forum Area are set out in the Environmental Statement submitted to Parliament in the relevant Volume 2 report.　 These programmes will be developed further through the hybrid Bill and detailed design process so HS2 Ltd will continue to engage with people along the Phase One route as the High Speed Rail (London-West Midlands) Bill progresses through Parliament. The draft Code of Construction Practice, published as part of the Bill documentation, states that the nominated undertaker and its contractors will ensure that local residents, occupiers, businesses, local authorities and parish councils affected by the proposed construction works, as outlined in the Environmental Statement, will be informed in advance of works taking place.　 The notifications will detail the estimated duration of the works, the working hours and the nature of the works.　 The timetable for construction works will be confirmed after Royal Assent to the Bill.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what disruption there will be to services on the West Coast Mainline during the construction of High Speed 2; and how long such disruption is expected to last.

Mr Robert Goodwill: There may be disruption at various locations along the West Coast Mainline during the construction of High Speed 2. This may occur at various times throughout the construction period. HS2 Limited is developing a detailed construction plan which includes minimising disruption to services on the West Coast Mainline.

Shipping: Regulation

Mr Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which organisations and individuals were invited to make a submission to the consultation, Changing merchant shipping regulations: weighing of goods vehicles and emergency equipment lockers, published on 16 June 2014; and which organisations and individuals (a) who were and (b) who were not so invited made a submission to that consultation.

Mr John Hayes: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) specifically invited 53 consultees to respond to the eight-week public consultation, launched on 16 June, on the proposed revocation of these merchant shipping regulations. In addition, the MCA wrote separately to the members of the Herald of Free Enterprise Families Association and the maritime unions in advance of the consultation being published to provide early notification of the proposal and the consultation. The attached table lists the organisations that were formally written to when the consultation was launched, those that responded, and those organisations and individuals that responded to the public consultation without having been formally written to. 



220470 - List of consultees 
(Excel SpreadSheet, 32.5 KB)

High Speed Two

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) employees and (b) secondees have been appointed by HS2 Ltd since October 2014; and what the pay grade and salary scale of each such person is.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Since October HS2 Ltd has appointed 43 new staff. The table below sets out the grading of 40 appointments. In addition there were three senior appointments. Information on these is given in £5k bands. 2 appointments were in the range £185 – 190k1 appointment was in the range £200 – 205k HS2 Ltd has taken on 11 secondees since 1 October 2014. Salary details of these individuals are held by their parent organisation. HS2 GradeNumber of employeesPublished salary ranges  minmidmax 101£21,476£23,623£25,771 1110£24,001£26,412£28,813 125£26,056£28,662£31,267 138£29,462£32,408£35,354 144£33,080£36,388£39,696 154£35,704£38,587£44,629 164£40,757£44,832£50,956 172£45,915£50,506£59,689 191£59,867£65,854£77,826 201£65,378£76,916£92,299  40TOTAL employees

Crossrail Line

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average per metre bored tunnel cost is of the Crossrail tunnels.

Claire Perry: The average cost per metre of a bored tunnel will be influenced by a number of factors. This includes the ground and soil conditions, the sequencing of a project, the drive length, the depth of the tunnel and production rates. On the Crossrail project the cost per metre of the twin bored tunnels is between £30 – 35,000 at a base date of Q3 2013. This figure excludes additional scope within the tunnelling contracts including the construction of tunnel portals, shafts, tunnel cross passages, tunnel fit out, design, project management and spoil disposal.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, who will sit on the Need to Sell panel; and whether any of that panel will be employees or secondees of HS2 Ltd.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Need to Sell panel will be fully independent, comprising three lay-people. Employees and secondees from HS2 Ltd will not form part of the Panel. This was set out in the Decision Document published in April 2014 following the Property Compensation Consultation 2013 for the London-West Midlands HS2 route.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much was spent on High Speed 2 during the period 1 January to 31 December 2013; and what budgeted spend was under each cost heading for (a) 2013 and (b)1 January to 31 December 2014.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The information requested is in the table below Expenditure against budget in 2013 and 2014  BudgetActual Spend2013£242.6m£224.1m2014£215.2m£170.3m Please note that our budget and expenditure is accounted for within financial years rather than calendar years. Therefore in the table above, 2013 is a combination of Jan to Mar from FY 2012/13 plus Apr to Dec from FY 2013/14.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many petition response documents have been issued to those who have submitted petitions on High Speed 2.

Mr Robert Goodwill: As instructed by the Select Committee for the High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Hybrid Bill, Promoter Response Documents have to be issued at least four weeks before a petitioner is scheduled to be heard. 　As at close of business on 12 January 2015, in response to the 1960 petitions received, 404 Promoter Response Documents have been issued.

Crossrail Line

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average tunnel boring machine advance rate is for the Crossrail tunnels.

Claire Perry: Crossrail Ltd has used eight tunnel boring machines in order to complete ten tunnel drives to create the 21km (42km in total) of twin bored tunnel through which the Crossrail trains will operate. Crossrail Ltd are using two different types of tunnel boring machine on their tunnel drives. Six of the machines are known as earth pressure balance machines to drive through clay to the west of the River Thames and riverbed deposits to the east. The other two machines are known as slurry machines and have driven through chalk and flint beneath the River Thames. The average run rate per day of the earth pressure balance machines is 16.9 metres and the average run rate per day for the slurry machines is 7.9 metres. The progress of each machine differs based on a number of variables including the ground and soil conditions, the sequencing of the project, the drive length, the depth of the tunnel, the maintenance of the machines and production rates.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the High Speed 2 Wigan (Golborne) spur will be reconsidered; and when he will announce a decision on this matter.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Government is still considering this part of the scheme and will take decisions on how to take Phase Two forward later this year.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list (a) the contracts, (b) the value of those contracts and (c) payments made between (i) his Department and (ii) HS2 Ltd and (A) Alstom, (B) Atkins, (C) Bechtel, (D) Costain, (E) Hitachi, (F) Keolis, (G) Parsons Brinckerhoff, (H) the Rail Industry Association, (I) Siemens, (J) Laing O'Rourke, (K) Bombardier, (L) Young Rail Professionals, (M) National Skills Academy and (N) Railway Engineering in each of the last five years.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The attached table contains the information requested.



220388 - Table - information on contracts
(Excel SpreadSheet, 35 KB)

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether a High Speed 2 Residents' Commissioner has now been appointed; and when the Residents' Charter will be in operation.

Mr Robert Goodwill: An announcement about the appointment of the Residents’ Commissioner will be made shortly. The Residents’ Charter will launch at the same time as the announcement and will be published on the Government’s website.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his latest estimate is of the number of existing platforms at Euston station which will have to be taken out of use to permit construction of a London terminus for High Speed 2.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Plans for Euston are still being finalised in conjunction with the railway industry. A key objective of the Department is to minimise disruption to the existing rail service during construction works at Euston. Any reduction in the number of platforms at Euston will be done in full consultation with train operators and Network Rail.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when HS2 Ltd will start consultation on new design proposals for Euston station to comply with the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Consultation on the proposals for Euston station will take place as part of the parliamentary process following the submission of revised plans in September 2015.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department will announce revised plans for Euston station to accommodate High Speed 2.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The plans for Euston are being developed to meet the timescales of the current parliamentary process. The revised scheme will be deposited in September 2015 to enable consideration of the scheme in Select Committee.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the results of the Old Oak Common consultation will be published.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The consultation on the proposed Mayoral Development Corporation for Old Oak Common and Park Royal is a matter for the Mayor of London. Details and progress on the Mayoral Development Corporation can be found at: https://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/planning/consultations/old-oak-and-park-royal-development-coporation

High Speed Two

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) employees and (b) secondees have been appointed by HS2 Ltd since October 2014.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Since October HS2 Ltd has appointed 43 new staff. HS2 Ltd has taken on 11 secondees since 1 October 2014.

Wrecks: Scotland

Mr Mike Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Marine Accident Investigation Branch is taking to investigate the sinking of the cargo vessel, Cemfjord, in the Pentland Firth.

Mr John Hayes: The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has commenced an investigation of the accident in cooperation with the Cypriot, Danish and Polish accident investigation authorities. Initial indications are that Cemfjord capsized suddenly, soon after entering an area of extremely violent seas to the north-west of the island of Stroma; the weather and sea conditions in the Pentland Firth at the time were atrocious. It has also been established that the vessel did not transmit any form of distress signal. Key areas of investigation include: why the vessel foundered so rapidly; why none of the crew seem to have survived; and why it took so long for the alarm to be raised. To help answer some of these questions, the MAIB will be conducting a Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle (ROV) survey of the wreck when weather conditions allow. Decisions about any further investigation of the wreck in situ cannot be made until the results of the ROV survey have been assessed. The evidence collected thus far suggests no reason to consider raising the vessel and any attempt would be fraught with such technical and practical challenges that it may not be possible to do so.

Wrecks: Scotland

Mr Mike Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received on the recovery of bodies from the sunken cargo vessel, Cemfjord, in the Pentland Firth.

Mr John Hayes: No representations have been made to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency about recovering bodies from the CEMFJORD.

Wrecks: Scotland

Mr Mike Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the length of time taken by the emergency towing vessel to respond to the foundering of the Cemfjord in the Pentland Firth.

Mr John Hayes: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has considered their coordination of the response to the foundering of the CEMFJORD. The correct search and rescue (SAR) resources were sent at the correct time once Her Majesty’s Coastguard had received a report of a capsized hull. The SAR response included four lifeboats, two helicopters and other vessels in the Pentland Firth area. The emergency towing vessel was not sent as part of the SAR response but to mark the position of the capsized ship and to offer expert advice on any salvage effort.

Driving Tests: Western Isles

Mr Angus Brendan MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when driving or motorcycle tests in Na h-Eileanan an Iar constituency have been postponed in the last 12 months; what the reason was for each such postponement; and what the period was in each case until the next opportunity for learner drivers to sit the test.

Claire Perry: The table below shows the number of cancellations for each test centre since 1 January 2014 until 13 January 2015. The table also explains the reason why each test was cancelled and the length of time it took for tests to be rescheduled. Name of test centreAmount of tests cancelledReason for cancellationTime taken to rebook cancelled testBarra0  South Uist0  Benbecula8Adverse weatherRebooked 4 weeks laterBenbecula7Driving Examiner sickRebooked 8 weeks laterStornoway2Adverse weatherRebooked 4 weeks laterStornoway1Adverse weatherRebooked within 1 weekStornoway1Adverse weatherrebooked within 3 daysStornoway3Adverse weatherrebooked within 2 daysStornoway45Driving Examiner unavailableRebooked within 1 weekStornoway1Driving Examiner unavailableRebooked within 7 weeksStornoway1Driving Examiner travel ProblemsRebooked within 4 weeksStornoway5Driving Examiner travel problemsBrought forward 1 dayStornoway5Driving Examiner travel problemsRebooked within 1 weekStornoway4Driving Examiner sickIn the process of rebookingStornoway16Driving Examiner sickRebooked within 1 weekConstituency Total99

Home Office

Asylum

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which datasets her Department draws upon in checking if asylum seekers have criminal records; what improvements she is requiring in those datasets; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: Holding answer received on 09 January 2015



Everyone claiming asylum in the UK undergoes a series of checks against immigration and police databases. Asylum claims are screened to identify individuals who may have been involved in serious criminality outside of the UK. This includes (but is not limited to) war crimes, crimes against humanity and terrorism. Asylum claims are also screened for indicators of national security interest and, where identified, further checks and investigations are undertaken. We now run more checks than were carried out under the previous government and the process is clearer and more consistent.The UK holds a watchlist of adverse information and intelligence drawn from a variety of sources, including Security and Intelligence Agencies and the police. The system is used by Home Office staff for the purposes of national security and the detection and prevention of crime. Checking against the watchlist provides the means of intervention through pre-entry checks (when applicants apply for visas), at the border (when they enter or leave the UK) and in-country applications for extensions of stay and Indefinite Leave to Remain. It is longstanding policy not to discuss either the specific data held on the watchlist, the source of the data or how it is used as to do so would be counterproductive. All checks are now mandated for every asylum claim at point of claim, in addition all claimants who apply for asylum support are checked against the asylum support database( ASYS) and undergo a credit reference check. There is a clear record of all checks made, with a disciplinary procedure in place if staff fail to undertake them.

Equality

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many equality impact assessments her Department produced in each year since 2006.

Karen Bradley: The Home Office considers equality issues in exercising its functions, to comply with equality legislation and to ensure it understands how its activities will affect different people. It provides information about this consideration in various ways. In the specified period since 2006, this information was sometimes published in the form of an equality impact assessment. Information about the number of such documents published by the Home Office is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Entry Clearances

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the top 10 nationalities granted study visas, other than student visitors, were in each year since 2009.

James Brokenshire: The information requested is given in the table below:  Lists of the top 10 nationalities granted study entry clearance visas in each of the years 2009-2013  Top 10 nationalities in 2013Rank China1 United States2 India3 Nigeria4 Malaysia5 Hong Kong6 Saudi Arabia7 Pakistan8 Thailand9 Russia10Top 10 nationalities in 2012Rank China1 India2 United States3 Nigeria4 Pakistan5 Saudi Arabia6 Hong Kong7 Malaysia8 Thailand9 Russia10Top 10 nationalities in 2011Rank China1 Pakistan2 India3 United States4 Nigeria5 Saudi Arabia6 Hong Kong7 Malaysia8 Bangladesh9 Korea (South)10Top 10 nationalities in 2010Rank India1 China2 Pakistan3 United States4 Saudi Arabia5 Nigeria6 Bangladesh7 Sri Lanka8 Hong Kong9 Korea (South)10Top 10 nationalities in 2009Rank India1 China2 Bangladesh3 Saudi Arabia4 United States5 Pakistan6 Nepal7 Nigeria8 Philippines9 Malaysia10Source: Immigration Statistics, July - September 2014, table vi_06_q_s, Visas Volume 3. Table notes:   1) The top 10 nationalities in each year are listed in rank order.   2) Dependants were included in the figures on which the lists are based.   3) Student visitor visas were not included. Student visitors may come to the UK for up to 6 months (or 11 months for an English language course) and cannot extend their stay.4) The figures used refer to entry clearance visas applied for outside the UK. The latest Home Office immigration statistics are published in the Immigration Statistics July – September 2014 (Entry clearance visas granted outside the UK tables, volume 3, table vi_06_q_s), which is available from the Library of the House and on the Department’s website at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-releaseIt is planned to publish information for 2014 on 26 February.

Travel Restrictions: USA

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will revoke the entry ban into the UK on the US broadcaster Michael Alan Weiner, also known as Michael Savage.

James Brokenshire: Although speculation about Mr Weiner’s exclusion from the UK is in the public domain, the Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases and cannot provide any further information in relation to this matter.

Entry Clearances

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the effect of revoking the visa sponsorship licence granted to Youth With A Mission on that organisation.

James Brokenshire: The sponsor licence for Youth With A Mission has not been revoked. Its licence was suspended on 23 December 2014 due to a number of compliance issues in relation to its sponsorship duties. It was given 20 working days to reply and did so on 12 January. The Sponsor Compliance Unit will now carefully consider the representations and make a decision on the sponsor licence within 20 working days.

Entry Clearances

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which directorate of her Department provides the budget for the electronic visa waiver scheme.

James Brokenshire: The cost for the Electronic Visa Waiver scheme is not attributed to one specific directorate with the costs being apportioned across the department.

Entry Clearances

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the costs and benefits of the electronic visa waiver scheme.

James Brokenshire: The Home Secretary made a statement on the electronic visa waiver (EVW) scheme on 9 December 2013 (HC Deb, 9 December 2013, c4WS). We keep the UK’s visa regime including the EVW scheme under constant review and in light of a range of border security factors which are balanced against the costs of delivery as well as the benefits to the UK’s prosperity and bilateral relations.

Drugs: Misuse

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2014 to Question 213652, what progress her Department has made on developing proposals for a blanket ban on the sale of new psychoactive substances.

Lynne Featherstone: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Probabtion: Foreign Nationals

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many foreign nationals who have been convicted of a crime outside the UK and who currently live in the UK are being supervised by email by probation officers based in their native country.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not hold information on any overseas probation supervision occurring by email. Probation is a responsibility of the Ministry of Justice rather than the Home Office and it may be that they hold the information you have requested.

Asylum: Syria

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to allow more refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria to enter the UK.

James Brokenshire: The Government is deeply concerned about the crisis in Syria, the suffering and hardship it is causing for millions of displaced Syrians in the region, and the strain it is placing on their host countries. Given the scale of the crisis, we believe the most effective way to ensure the UK’s help has the greatest impact for displaced people and their host countries is through substantial humanitarian aid and actively seeking an end to the conflict so that refugees can return to their homes and livelihoods safely. We have committed £700 million in response to the crisis, making us the secondlargest bilateral donor after the USA, and UK funding is helping to support hundreds of thousands of displaced people in the region, providing food, healthcare and essential supplies. Compared with aid, offering protection in the UK can only ever help a minority of those in need.However, we recognise that there are some very vulnerable refugees who cannot be supported effectively in the region. In January, we launched the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) scheme to offer protection in the UK to those most at risk, particularly women and children at risk, those in need of medical care and survivors of torture and violence. The scheme is based on need rather than fulfilling a quota, but we expect it to help several hundred people over three years, and groups are arriving in the UK on a regular basis. This is in addition to our consideration of Syrian asylum claims lodged in the UK under our normal rules; since the crisis began in 2011, we have granted asylum or other forms of leave to over 3,400 Syrian nationals.We believe that the best way for the UK to help those in need is to continue to focus our efforts on substantial aid, actively seeking a resolution to the crisis and helping some of the most vulnerable people through the VPR scheme. We therefore have no current plans to take steps beyond these measures to facilitate entry to the UK for displaced Syrians.

Pupils: Ethnic Groups

Mr David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2015 to Question 219411, if she will discuss with the Secretary of State for Education the reasons for that Department's decision to update categorisation of the ethnicity of school pupils from January 2016.

Mike Penning: Holding answer received on 15 January 2015



The categorisation of the ethnicity of school children is a matter for the Secretary of State for Education.Home Office Ministers have regular meetings with Ministerial colleagues and others as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Police

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the additional costs incurred by her Department in connection with policing Black Friday.

Mike Penning: The Home Office has incurred no additional direct costs as a result of Black Friday. The Home Office does not collect information on the costs of individual police operations. The deployment of police resources to specific events is a matter for operational police leaders, working with Police and Crime Commissioners.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Democratic Republic of Congo

Mr Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that UN Security Council Resolutions 2098 and 2147 are implemented in full and that effective steps are taken to demobilise and disband the FDLR from North and South Kivu; and if he will make a statement.

James Duddridge: We are committed to supporting efforts to build greater stability in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Great Lakes. Ministers and officials regularly meet with representatives of the UN, MONUSCO mission leadership and Ministers from the DRC, Rwanda and other countries in the region to emphasise the importance of full implementation of UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions 2098 and 2147.We continue to believe that the threat posed by the FDLR to civilians and the wider security of the region must be comprehensively tackled. As the 2 January deadline for voluntary disarmament has now passed and full surrender has not materialised, we believe that military action must restart against the FDLR as soon as possible. The UNSC Presidential Statement of 8 January is clear about this and we are lobbying regional leaders to deliver on the action they have promised.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Dr William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the government of the Republic of Congo as to the safety and protection of the British missionary, Ms Maud Kells.

James Duddridge: I was very concerned to hear about the shooting of a British national in the Democratic Republic of Congo. FCO officials in London and the Democratic Republic of Congo are providing consular assistance. We will continue to provide assistance and seek updates from the local authorities who are investigating.

Press Freedom

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts about press freedom.

Mr David Lidington: The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) led the UK’s expression of condolence and solidarity with France after the events in Paris last week and my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns has written to the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to commend their responses to the attacks. The public reaction was a visible demonstration of the importance attached to press freedom, and freedom of expression, in Europe and beyond. Freedom of expression has been a human rights priority for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), from the beginning of this Parliament; and the subject of an Expert Group which advises Ministers. We raise press freedom regularly in multilateral fora, supporting relevant initiatives and resolutions, and raise it in bilateral conversations – in private and in public. For example, issues and rights connected with freedom of expression, and press freedom, are important elements of much of the analysis in the FCO’s Annual Human Rights Report – which this year will have a particular focus on “protecting civil society space”.

Russia

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Russian government on the human rights implications of the decision to ban transgender people and other groups from driving.

Mr David Lidington: The Russian government’s decree of 29 December 2014 prohibited certain groups from driving. The Russian Ministry of Health stated on 13 January that the law does not relate to drivers’ sexual orientation, but did not mention transgender people. We have asked the Russian government for clarification on the application and implementation of this amendment in order to fully understand its impact.

Palestinians

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Palestinian Authority on its accession to the International Criminal Court.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) spoke to Palestinian Authority President Abbas about this issue on 7 January.

Western Sahara

Mr Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department recognises Morocco as the administering power in the non-self-governing territory of Western Sahara.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Like the UN, the UK does not recognise a de jure administering power in Western Sahara. Morocco exercises de facto control over part of the territory.

Burma

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of progress by Burma towards establishing democracy; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Hugo Swire: We recognise the significant steps towards democratic reform that the government of Burma has taken over the past two years. This includes releasing hundreds of political prisoners and discharging hundreds of child soldiers. It has also included lifting of restrictions on the media, which has opened the space for the growth of a vibrant civil society. At the same time, we recognise much more needs to be done, and that in some areas progress has declined. We remain deeply concerned about the recent intimidation, detention and sentencing of reporters and political activists, the appalling situation of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State, and about ongoing conflict in ethnic areas and associated human rights abuses, including sexual violence. All of our concerns are thoroughly documented in our Annual Report on Human Rights, and the quarterly updates to them. I personally raise our concerns regularly with the government of Burma. Burma’s elections, scheduled for October or November this year, will be a critically important test of the government’s commitment to see the reforms through to their conclusion. It is vital for Burma’s future development that these are inclusive and credible. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) made this point to President Thein Sein at the Group of Twenty (G20) summit in Brisbane in November.

Middle East

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to support the Middle East peace process.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK's priority remains the achievement of a two-state solution. We continue to believe that the best way to achieve this is through negotiations. We are in close touch with international partners to that end. At the current time we are urging the parties to avoid taking any steps which will make the search for peace harder. The Foreign Secretary has been discussing ways of progressing the MEPP with partners on a regular basis.

Palestinians

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Palestinian Authority on recent reports of violations of the ceasefire agreement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We have not made any specific representations to the Palestinian Authority (PA) on this issue, as the PA itself is not responsible for the firing. However, we have regularly urged senior Palestinians to return to the Cairo negotiations, with the Israeli government, to ensure that a durable ceasefire is put in place in Gaza.

Saudi Arabia

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations Ministers in his Department have made to the Saudi Arabian government on (a) freedom of the press, (b) religious freedom, (c) the rule of law and (d) cruel and inhumane treatment.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The British Government maintains a regular debate on a full range of human rights issues with the Saudi Arabian government and will continue to do so. Last year, the then Senior Minister of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Baroness Warsi, raised the issue of freedom of religion or belief with the Saudi Arabian government. The issue of rule of law was also raised by the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor and my Rt Hon Friend Chris Grayling raised the issue of rule of law with his Saudi Arabian counterpart.

Burma

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve UK-Burmese diplomatic relations; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Hugo Swire: The UK’s relations with Burma have improved since 2011 when President Thein Sein embarked on a programme of reform. Since then we have been a critical friend, using our bilateral relationship to encourage reforms and speaking out where Burma has fallen short of accepted international standards of democracy and human rights. As a result of our engagement, the UK has been able to increase our access and influence with the government of Burma. Since the reform process began, the government of Burma has made progress in a number of areas, not least by releasing hundreds of political prisoners and child soldiers, and opening up space for the media and civil society to operate. The UK’s support has included a package of development assistance, worth £82 million in financial year 2015-16. We will continue to use our diplomatic relations to encourage reform in 2015, when elections due to be held towards the end of the year will be a critically important milestone in Burma’s transition to a more open and democratic society. At the same time, we recognise there is still a lot further to go, including on human rights, and we will continue to make our concerns known to the government of Burma, both publicly and privately.

Lebanon

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his counterparts in the Lebanese government on the removal of restrictions placed on Syrian refugees seeking to enter Lebanon.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: I discussed the issue of Syrian refugees with the Lebanese Prime Minister and the Speaker for Parliament when I visited Lebanon in December. I paid tribute to Lebanon’s generosity as they host nearly 1.2 million registered refugees and made clear that the UK’s support, which is now around £160 million since the start of the Syria crisis, will continue. Following the announcement of new border regulations by the Lebanese authorities, our Ambassador in Lebanon alongside EU partners, reiterated to the Lebanese Prime Minister the international community’s concern that the new border regulations should adequately provide for the most vulnerable humanitarian cases.

Palestinians

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Palestinian Authority counterparts on the closure of the administrative checkpoint at the Erez Crossing.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: I raised the importance of keeping the crossing open when I met President Abbas during my visit last year. I also raised this with Israeli interlocutors. The Erez Crossing is run by the Israeli authorities not the PA. We have had reports that the crossing closed briefly on 8 January when Hamas security personnel attempted to approach the crossing, but otherwise it has been open.

Palestinians

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Palestinian Authority counterparts on the smuggling of weapons and other contraband into Gaza.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We have not raised this issue specifically with the Palestinian Authority (PA). However, we regularly discuss with PA ministers our wish for the PA to return to Gaza and to play a more active role at the crossings.

EU External Relations

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2014 to Question 217644, on Ukraine, what criteria were used to establish EU policy objectives on non-recognition of the illegal annexation by (a) Russia of Crimea and (b) Israel of East Jerusalem and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Mr David Lidington: UK policy, aligned with the EU, on Crimea and East Jerusalem is as follows:a) The EU does not recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia. Russia’s intervention in Ukraine and illegal annexation of Crimea is a flagrant violation of a number of Russia’s international commitments. That is why Russia has been isolated in the Security Council and in the wider international community.b) It has been the position of every British Government since 1948 that the Occupied Palestinian Territories (East Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza), were not lawfully part of the state of Israel at its creation or at any point thereafter. In 2009, EU Council Conclusions stated that the EU “will not recognise any changes to the pre-1967 borders including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties”. It also recalled that “it has never recognised the annexation of East Jerusalem”.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Renewable Energy

Mrs Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will apply the same criteria for industries which qualify for relief under the Climate Change Agreement to the industries eligible for relief from the indirect costs of renewables.

Matthew Hancock: The Government has acted to provide relief for energy intensive industries and is targeting its limited resources at those energy intensive products that are exposed to competition in the international markets.   However, we are bound by the European Commission’s state aid rules in this regard and cannot, therefore, simply use climate change agreements as the basis for eligibility for these schemes.   We have issued a consultation on a proposed methodology and are currently analysing the results. We expect to publish a Government response to the consultation shortly and final conclusions on which sectors will be eligible once we have state aid approval, which we expect to receive by summer 2015.

Wind Power: Seas and Oceans

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will take steps to allow the British Business Bank to provide bonds for companies in the offshore wind supply chain for the purpose of enabling those companies to take on additional orders.

Matthew Hancock: Since 1st November 2014 the Business Bank has been an operationally independent public limited company, which is wholly owned by Her Majesty’s Government.   It is conducting research, working alongside Department for Business, Innovation and Skills officials, to better understand the market for performance bonds and its impact on smaller companies.   Bonds and guarantees have been supported by the Enterprise Finance Guarantee, which is delivered by the Business Bank via participating lenders, since April 2014.

Wind Power: Seas and Oceans

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which local enterprise partnerships (a) his Department and (b) the Offshore Wind Industry Council are working with to develop clusters of business formation for the offshore industry supply chain.

Matthew Hancock: In 2011 we established the Centre for Offshore Renewable Engineering (CORE) network, and through this network my department and other members of the Offshore Wind Industry Council are working with six local enterprise partnerships to support the offshore industry supply chain.   The six local enterprise partnerships in the CORE network are North East, Humber, New Anglia, Liverpool City Region, South East and your own local enterprise partnership area, Tees Valley. These areas are recognised as having existing port infrastructure, skills, supply chain and local government support to enable rapid growth within the offshore wind sector.   My Department also works with other local enterprise partnerships where growth opportunities are identified in other areas. The CORE network is working successfully with the Offshore Wind Investment Organisation, in UK Trade and Investment, to raise the profile of CORE areas as investment locations for major offshore wind companies and to realise the supply chain opportunities linked to these investments. The most recent CORE brochure was an excellent example of Local Enterprise Partnerships working with Government to grow local economies.

Wind Power: Seas and Oceans

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking in conjunction with (a) the Offshore Wind Industry Council and (b) individual companies within the supply chain of the offshore industry to devise standardisation; and if he will make a statement.

Matthew Hancock: The Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult is pursuing work on developing standardisation across the offshore wind industry.   Following the recommendation in Matthew Chinn’s report into opportunities and barriers facing the UK offshore wind supply chain in November 2014 to the co-chairs of the Offshore Wind Industry Council, the Offshore Wind Programme Board sub-group on Supply Chain is now investigating this topic, including best practice in other sectors. Reducing costs through standardisation needs to be balanced with the value of bringing in new innovations.

Wind Power: Seas and Oceans

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to (a) identify and (b) implement a common system for supplier registration in the offshore wind supply chain.

Matthew Hancock: Following the recommendation in Matthew Chinn’s report into opportunities and barriers facing the UK offshore wind supply chain in November 2014 to the co-chairs of the Offshore Wind Industry Council; the Offshore Wind Programme Board’s sub group on alliancing and contracting is now investigating this topic, including best practice in other sectors, to recommend a simple and inexpensive solution that works for all in the offshore wind sector.

Wind Power: Seas and Oceans

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will extend the scope of the Green Investment Bank's objects to include investments in supply chain companies in the offshore wind sector.

Matthew Hancock: Green Investment Bank’s (GIB) role is to finance infrastructure projects that have direct green impact, as distinct from companies involved in the supply chain. This is reflected in its current state aid approval which expires in October 2016.   The Government has now opened discussions with the European Commission about obtaining an updated approval. One of the matters for detailed consideration will be how GIB should operate in relation to the offshore wind sector, including the scope for support to the supply chain.

Equality

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many equality impact assessments his Department produced in each year since 2006.

Jo Swinson: Equality is at the heart of all policy and decision making by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.   To help comply with the Equality Act 2010, analysis conducted of the impact on equality of its key policies and decisions are regularly published by the department and available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?commit=Refresh+results&departments%5B%5D=department-for-business-innovation-skills&from_date=&keywords=&official_document_status=all&page=2&publication_filter_option=impact-assessments&to_date=&topics%5B%5D=all&world_locations%5B%5D=all.

Students: Fees and Charges

Mr Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much tuition fee income was raised from students studying STEM subjects at UK universities in each of the last five years.

Greg Clark: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Teachers: Surveys

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the average response rate of initial teacher training students trained in universities to the National Student Survey was in each year since 2010.

Greg Clark: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Science: Education

Mr Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many students are studying STEM subjects at UK universities in the 2014-15 academic year; and if he will estimate the number of such students in each of the next five academic years.

Greg Clark: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Students: Fees and Charges

Mr Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his latest estimate is of the RAB charges on (a) fees and (b) maintenance loans to students at UK universities studying STEM subjects.

Greg Clark: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

City Link

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of the closure of City Link on subcontractors reliant on City Link.

Matthew Hancock: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Duke of York

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which overseas visits undertaken by HRH The Duke of York since 2011 were carried out partly or wholly on behalf of his Department; which countries were visited and what official events took place during each such visit; and what the cost to the public purse of (a) travel and (b) other expenses was of each such visit.

Matthew Hancock: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Higher Education: Finance

Mr John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent estimate he has made of the average unit costs of (a) the face value of student loans, (b) the resource costs of student loans, (c) teaching grants through the Higher Education Funding Council for England, (d) maintenance grant and (e) access spending by institutions in respect of additional students entering higher education in 2014-15.

Greg Clark: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Females

Sir Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2014 to Question 207136, to the hon. Member for Brighton, Kemptown, what recent progress has been made on the outcomes of the Girl Summit of July 2014.

Mr Desmond Swayne: In December 2014, DFID approved a new £36 million programme to accelerate action to end child marriage in 12 priority countries. This implements the Secretary of State for International Development’s commitment at the Girl Summit to a new child, early and forced marriage programme. The programme will:   · Provide up to £25 million for a United Nations global programme to support national plans and actions to scale up efforts to end child marriage; · Provide up to £8 million to the Amplifychange Fund to support civil society activists to end child marriage; · Provide up to £3 million to generate greater knowledge on what works in relation to child marriage, for example in connection to social norms.   The government is working closely with UNICEF to ensure an effective process is in place to monitor the commitments made at the Girl Summit, with a first update due by mid-2015 which we will make public.

Department for Education

Studio Schools

Nadhim Zahawi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether construction budgets for studio schools include the cost of specialist teaching equipment related to the school's specialism.

Mr Edward Timpson: Where appropriate, construction budgets for studio schools includes additional funding for specialist equipment but such funding is only provided in exceptional circumstances where equipment to support a school specialism is particularly high-cost and essential to curriculum delivery.

Grammar Schools: Admissions

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of children (a) in receipt of free school meals, (b) with a statement of special educational needs, (c) from a BME community and (d) looked after by a local authority received a place in a grammar school in each of the last five years.

Mr David Laws: Holding answer received on 13 January 2015



The Department for Education does not hold information on pupils who received a place at a state-funded selective school but does hold information on the number of pupils enrolled in year 7 in state-funded selective schools in January each year. Information on this basis for January 2014 is given in the table below. Information for the remaining years could only be compiled at disproportionate cost.   Year 7 pupils in state-funded mainstream schools in England, January 2014  Number of pupilsPercentage enrolled at state-funded selective schoolsAll pupils522,9954.4%(a) Pupils known to be eligible for or claiming free school meals89,5150.8%(b) Pupils with statements of special educational needs10,2350.5%(c) Pupils from a minority ethnic group138,1155.6%(d) Pupils who are looked after for at least 12 months2,2550.8% Source: School census and national pupil database Notes: Includes pupils who are sole or dual main registrations.Numbers are rounded to the nearest 5.Some looked after children data could not be matched to pupil records in the school census, however matching rates are high. This means that this figure may be a slight underestimate.These figures exclude: pupils who received an offer of a place which was not taken up and;pupils who enrolled in state-funded selective schools, but left the school roll before the school census day in January.Cranbrook School, Kent which admits pupils from age 13 rather than age 11.

Foster Care

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to reduce disparities between local authorities in meeting the six-week regulation for visits of children within the first year of a private fostering arrangement.

Mr Edward Timpson: Regulations made under The Children Act 1989 require local authorities to arrange for a child to be visited within seven working days of a private fostering arrangement becoming known to them. Regulations also require that local authorities must then carry out follow-up visits at least every six weeks in respect of the first year of the private fostering arrangement.The Department is not taking any proactive steps to reduce the disparity between local authorities in meeting the six-week regulation. Local authority performance and practice are inspected by Ofsted and, where authorities do not comply with their statutory responsibilities, the Secretary of State can, and does, swiftly and robustly intervene.

Offences against Children

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage schools to (a) report and (b) support victims of child abuse.

Mr Edward Timpson: Statutory guidance to all professionals working with children, “Working Together to Safeguard Children”, is absolutely clear that professionals should refer immediately to the local authority children’s social care services when they are concerned about a child.The Secretary of State also published statutory guidance to schools, “Keeping Children Safe in Education”, in April 2014. Schools and colleges must have regard to it when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The first part of the guidance sets out clearly what all staff in schools should know and do to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and when they should refer concerns to their local authority’s children’s social care services.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Mr David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many primary school children have received funding through the pupil premium in (a) Bradford East constituency and (b) Bradford.

Mr David Laws: The Pupil Premium was introduced in April 2011. The available information is shown in the tables attached.   Information on deprivation pupil premium by primary and secondary year groups was first published in 2013/14. Data in this form prior to this date is not readily available.  



Pupils eligible for pupil premium Bradford LA
(Excel SpreadSheet, 41 KB)




Pupils eligible for pupil premium Bradford East PC
(Excel SpreadSheet, 40.5 KB)

Primary Education: Teachers

Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to increase the number of primary school teachers who have one or more science A-Levels.

Mr David Laws: There are no subject-specific entry requirements for primary courses of initial teacher training (ITT) and there are no plans to introduce new requirements. All ITT entrants are required to satisfy a rigorous selection process which is designed to assess their suitability to teach and providers of ITT must ensure trainees can demonstrate a secure knowledge of the relevant subject(s) to deliver the curriculum which, in the case of primary trainees, includes teaching science in primary schools. The Department for Education funds the National Science Learning Network to support both primary and secondary teachers with subject specific professional development. This includes supporting the implementation of the new national curriculum.

Education Funding Agency

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to provide telephone helplines for schools to use to contact the Education Funding Agency.

Mr Edward Timpson: The Education Funding Agency (EFA) currently provides a series of contact email addresses and online contact forms for their customers to use. Further details are available at:   https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/education-funding-agency   Although there are currently no plans for the introduction of a telephone helpline for general customer enquiries, the EFA will continue to keep its methods of communicating with customers under regular review.

Duke of York

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which overseas visits undertaken by HRH The Duke of York since 2011 were carried out partly or wholly on behalf of her Department; which countries were visited and what official events took place during each such visit; and what the cost to the public purse of (a) travel and (b) other expenses was of each such visit.

Mr Nick Gibb: Since 2011 there have been no visits undertaken by HRH The Duke of York wholly or partially on behalf of the Department of Education. Since relinquishing his role as the United Kingdom’s Special Representative for Trade and Investment in 2011, The Duke of York has travelled officially on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government, as part of the programme of visits for the Royal Family approved by the Royal Visits Committee. Some of the visit programmes may have included events linked to education but this information is not held by this Department.

Schools: Asbestos

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2014 to Question 219636, whether she expects to provide an update on the management of asbestos in schools before the end of February 2015.

Mr David Laws: The Department for Education currently expects to provide an update on the management of asbestos in schools before the end of February 2015.

Merseyside

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much of her Department's budget was allocated to (a) Wirral and (b) Birkenhead constituency in 2013-14.

Mr David Laws: A total of £211,964,049 has been paid to the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral during the financial year 2013-14 by the Department for Education.   Birkenhead is not a local authority and is within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and therefore payments to this area are included in the data above.

Nurseries: Bradford

Mr David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many nursery school places have been created in (a) Bradford East constituency and (b) Bradford since 2008.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Department for Education does not collect or hold information about the number of places which have been created or are available in nursery schools. Information is available about the number of pupils in nursery schools in Bradford in 2014[1] and 2008[2] and this can be found in the respective Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics statistical first releases. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2014[2] http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120504203418/http://education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000786/index.shtml

Children's Centres

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 25 November 2014 to Question 906346, what live data health services and local authorities are permitted to share with children's centres.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Department for Education’s Sure Start Children’s Centres statutory guidance states that health services and local authorities should share information such as live birth data and data on families with children under five who have recently moved into the area with children’s centres on a regular basis.  Individual data items that this would include are subject to local partnership agreements or protocols, developed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

Pupils: Bradford

Mr David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many secondary school children in (a) Bradford East constituency and (b) Bradford have received funding through the pupil premium.

Mr David Laws: The Pupil Premium was introduced in April 2011. The available information is shown in the tables attached.   Information on deprivation pupil premium by primary and secondary year groups was first published in 2013/14. Data in this form prior to this date is not readily available. 



Pupils eligible for pupil premium Bradford LA
(Excel SpreadSheet, 41 KB)




Pupils eligible for pupil premium Bradford East PC
(Excel SpreadSheet, 40.5 KB)

Children's Centres

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and which children's centres there were in the 10 per cent most deprived wards in England in (a) 2010 and (b) 2014.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Department for Education does not hold the information in the form requested and to produce the analysis would incur disproportionate cost.The Evaluation of Children’s Centres in England (ECCE) published in June 2014 shows that of those centres evaluated in 2013, 17 per cent were situated in the 10 per cent most disadvantaged neighbourhoods nationally. This is only based on a small sample (128 centres) and is unlikely to be generally representative.

Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs: Misuse

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of children in (a) care and (b) need who have parents who misuse alcohol or drugs.

Mr Edward Timpson: The Department collects information on the number of children looked after by local authorities in England via the SSDA903 return. However data on the number of children looked after who have parents who misuse alcohol or drugs is not collected.Figures are provided in the table below for assessments of children in need:Number of assessments of children referred to social care where alcohol or drug misuse by the parent or carer was identified as a factor, year ending 31 March 2014 Factor identified1At initial assessments2At continuous assessments2NumberPercentageNumberPercentageTotal assessments completed at which factors were reported206,000.145,700.Of which reported: Alcohol misuse: Concerns about alcohol misuse by the parent/carer18,8009.116,10011.1 Drug misuse: Concerns about alcohol misuse by the parent/carer15,3007.413,8009.5Source: Children in Need census 1. This data was reported for the first time in 2013/14 for initial and continuous assessments completed in the year. A child may have more than one assessment in the year and an assessment may have more than one factor recorded. 2. An initial assessment is a brief assessment and a continuous assessment is a more in depth assessment of a child’s needs where the child has been referred to children’s social care services with a request that services be provided. This was the first year this data item was collected. Data was provided by around two thirds of local authorities so this information should be treated with caution.Factor information is published within table A6 of the ‘Characteristics of children in need: 2013 to 2014’ statistical first release: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/characteristics-of-children-in-need-2013-to-2014

Education: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve educational standards and opportunities at non-local education authority schools in (a) Tameside and (b) Stockport.

Mr Edward Timpson: We are clear that underperformance in all schools, whether they are maintained schools or academies, will not be tolerated. Academies have made a real difference in improving outcomes for their pupils. In Tameside and Stockport we are working closely with a small number of underperforming academies to challenge the trusts and encourage them to drive educational improvements using a range of interventions. We are also working to provide opportunities for school-to-school support to help drive up standards.

Ministry of Justice

Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many times a sentence has been altered under section 155 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 in the last five years; and what the (a) offence, (b) sentencing variation and (c) reason for the sentence being altered was in each case.

Mike Penning: Section 155 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Courts Act 2000 provides for the Crown Court to vary or rescind a sentence imposed, or other order made, by the Crown Court within 56 days of the original sentence being made. The power to vary is primarily to rectify small technical errors and not to allow for a fundamental change of mind.The number of sentences which were varied in Crown Court trials the last five years is as follows:Number of Crown Court sentences recorded as replaced on CREST, by offence groupOffence Group09/1010/1111/1212/1313/14Burglary120189182220129Criminal damage2534222613Drug offences304436495472407Fraud and forgery199333312349228Indictable motoring offences3534423324Other indictable offences344488604359294Robbery12514716413097Sexual offences313243236284191Summary Motoring Offences918752Summary Non-motoring Offences52991046799Theft and handling stolen goods193282303205256Unknown72122604436Violence against the person282387390302268Total2,0732,8122,9212,4962,044  Notes: 1. The above figures only relate to cases committed or sent for trial.2. The above figures relate to actual sentences replaced; they do not relate to the number of defendants involved.3. The data were extracted from CREST, the Crown Court case management system specifically to answer this question.4. The data are management information and not subject to the same level of checks as Official Statistics. The fact a sentence has been replaced is recorded on the Crown Court case management system, CREST. Whilst the new sentence will also be recorded it is not possible to link the two for every offence to calculate the variation. The reason for the sentence being varied is not recorded on CREST and can only be found by manually checking case files at disproportionate cost.

Driving Offences: Suffolk

Mr David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) convictions and (b) fixed penalty notices there have been in respect of people arrested for speeding offences in Suffolk (i) in total and (ii) on the (A) A143 and (B) A14 in each year since 2005.

Mike Penning: Driving offences can have very serious and sometimes devastating consequences for victims and their families. The total number of offenders found guilty at all courts for offences relating to speeding offences, in Suffolk police force area, from 2005 to 2013 (the latest available), can be viewed in table 1. Court proceedings data for 2014 is planned for publication in spring 2015 Data on fixed penalty notices for speed limit offences in Suffolk from 2005 to 2012 (the latest available), provided by the Home Office, can be viewed in the table 2. Data for 2013 is scheduled for publication in spring 2015. From centrally reported data it is not possible to separately identify fixed penalty notices issued for speeding on specific roads.Table 1: offenders found guilty at all courts for offences relating to speeding offences(1), Suffolk police force area, 2005-2013(2)(3)YearFound guilty   20053,156  20062,966  20073,300  20083,595  20093,499  20101,998  20112,775  20122,216  20132,116(1) It include the following offences:Vehicles subject to speed limits on motorways; Speeding offences detected by camera devices - Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regulations 1973 Speeding in parks - Parks Regulation (Amendment) Act 1926Speeding - Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, SS.81, 84, 88 & 89Speeding offences detected by camera devices - Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, SS.81, 84, 88 and 89 Speeding - Goods, Passenger carrying or other vehicle - Road Traffic Regulation Act Act 1984, S.86 Speeding offences detected by camera devices - Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, S.86  (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.  (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.Ref: PQ 220273

Driving Offences

Mr Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department's press release of 6 May 2014, Justice for victims of banned drivers, when he plans to publish the new review of driving offences.

Mike Penning: Driving offences can have very serious and sometimes devastating consequences for victims and their families. That is why the Government is reviewing driving offences and penalties. The review is ongoing and is due to be completed by the spring of 2015, with a view to informing the next government of potential legislative changes in the next Parliament. The timing of any publication of the review’s findings and recommendations will be considered once the review is completed.

Feltham Young Offender Institution

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many punishments of removal from wing were given to children at HM Young Offender Institution Feltham in each month in 2014; and how many children were punished with removal from wing following an adjudication in that institution in each of those months.

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the ethnicity was of children held in the segregation unit at HM Young Offender Institution Feltham in each month in 2014.

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many children held on the segregation unit at HM Young Offender Institution Feltham had an identified mental health issue in each month in 2014.

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many times children have been subject to single unlock at HM Young Offender Institution Feltham in each month in 2014; and how many children were subject to single unlock at that institution in each of those months.

Andrew Selous: Discipline Procedures are central to the maintenance of a safe custodial environment. They are provided for by the Young Offender Institution (YOI) Rules which require adjudications to be conducted lawfully, fairly and justly, and for young people to have a full opportunity to hear what is alleged against them and to present their case. A possible outcome of an adjudication hearing is for a young person to be removed from their wing or living unit for a period of up to 21 days under YOI R 60 (1) (g). Removal from unit means that the young person is relocated to other accommodation within the establishment but otherwise continues to participate, as far as possible, in normal regime activities. No young people were given an adjudication award of removal from unit at Feltham in 2014. Young people in custody are some of the most vulnerable people in society and their safety and welfare is our highest priority. We aim to use segregation as little as possible, but there are occasions when behaviour is so challenging and violent that it is necessary to remove a young person from association in order to guarantee their safety and that of others. Young people detained in under 18 public sector Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) must only be segregated when absolutely necessary. This may be to protect the safety of persons living in, working in or visiting an establishment, for their own protection, for a short period pending an adjudication hearing or to maintain order and discipline. Young people must be segregated under the proper authority as provided by the YOI Rules. Any decision to segregate a young person is subject to regular review and a range of safeguarding measures are in place to ensure appropriate oversight of their care. There are careful limits placed on the length of time for which young people can be separated and they cannot be segregated as a punishment.Table A below shows the ethnicity of young people located in the Care and Separation Unit (CSU) at Feltham in each month of 2014. Table A  JanFebMarAprMayJuneJulyAugSeptOctNovDecAsian434024335522Black161423246791017451720Mixed8042236676115White British585345461111214White Irish000001001000White Other000210100000Other502001000030Not Stated000001000000 We are unable to give a definitive reason for the dips and spikes in figures around particular months in the table above as it is normal for the numbers to fluctuate. However, we know that this is consistent with data on assaults from the establishment which may be a contributory factor. We also know that in October there were a number of multi perpetrator assaults which led to a large number of young people being segregated for short periods of time in the immediate aftermath. Information on the number of young people located on Feltham’s CSU who have an identified mental health condition, and information on the number of young people subject to Feltham’s single unlock policy, is not collected centrally. In order to provide this information we would need to check individual records and this could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Feltham Young Offender Institution

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers were employed at the children's site at HM Young Offender Institution Feltham in each month in 2014.

Andrew Selous: I have interpreted your reference to “children's site at HM Young Offender Institution Feltham” as covering the juvenile facility holding under 18s of HMYOI Feltham. We are not able to disaggregate staffing figures for the different facilities within HMYOI Feltham because staff are recorded across the establishment as a whole. However, I am happy to provide you with a link to the NOMS Quarterly Workforce Bulletins which include, in Table 10, information on the total number of prison officers at HMYOI Feltham. The latest version is as at 30 September 2014:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-offender-management-service-workforce-statistics

Driving Offences

Mr Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people convicted of driving while disqualified were subsequently convicted of (a) committing further road offences, (b) causing serious injury and (c) causing death while driving in each year since 2010.

Mike Penning: Driving offences can have very serious and sometimes devastating consequences for victims and their families. The Government is changing the law to increase maximum sentences for disqualified drivers who cause deaths and serious injuries and to make sure driving disqualifications continue after an offender leaves prison. The Ministry of Justice Court Proceeding Database holds information on offences provided by the statute under which proceedings are brought but not all the specific circumstances of each case. Details on disqualification from driving are not available from the information provided centrally to the Ministry of Justice. This detailed information is not reported due to their size and complexity and as such, it can only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The Ministry of Justice’s extract of the Police National Computer (PNC), which MoJ uses to publish official statistics on offenders’ criminal histories, only holds information on those offenders who were cautioned or convicted for recordable offences in England and Wales.To get information on subsequent convictions whilst disqualified from driving would require a lengthy, manual data matching process between these two data sources which have no unique or common identifier for the offenders, which due to its size and complexity will incur disproportionate cost.

Prisons: Drugs

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2015 to Question 219263, what substances are covered by the heading Other in the table placed in the Library.

Andrew Selous: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) records all incidents on the Incident Reporting System (IRS). The incident reporting system provides the option for the drug found to be recorded as any of Amphetamines, Barbiturates, Cannabis, Cannabis Plant, Cocaine, Crack, Heroin, LSD or Tranquilisers. If the drug found is not suspected to be one of these, then the drug found will be declared as Other. This will include New Psychoactive Substances, steroids and drugs of unknown type. If substances in the Other category become easier to define NOMS will review the options for recording them more specifically

Prison Accommodation

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what new additional capacity in the adult prison estate is (a) planned or (b) under construction; which prisons are so affected; how many additional units are being created through such work; and when each additional space will come on stream.

Andrew Selous: This Government will always ensure that we have enough prison places for those sent to us by the courts and we continue to modernise the prison estate so that it delivers best value for the taxpayer. We have a long term strategy for managing the prison estate which will provide more adult male prison capacity than we inherited from the previous Government. We also have a range of contingencies available to manage temporary or unexpected increases in the population. Four new house-blocks (which will be completed by May 2015) consisting of a total of 1,250 new places are being delivered at HMPs Thameside, The Mount, Parc and Peterborough. These places will open when they are required. We are also delivering around 500 places by April 2015 through small scale investments at the following prisons:CardiffChelmsfordDeerboltHatfieldHewellHollesley BayHumberKirkhamLancaster FarmsLittleheyThe MountNorwichStandford HillStoke HeathSwanseaThorn CrossWandsworthWarren HillWymott We are also constructing a new, modern 2,106 place prison for North Wales in Wrexham, to be opened in 2017.

Prison Accommodation

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the expected capacity of the adult (a) male and (b) female prison system will be in (i) June 2015, (ii) January 2016, (iii) June 2016, (iv) January 2017, (v) June 2017, (vi) January 2018, (vii) June 2018, (viii) January 2019, (ix) June 2019 and (x) January 2020.

Andrew Selous: Decisions on the number of spaces required in each year, up to 2020, will depend on population trends and projections over the coming years. This Government will always ensure that we have enough prison places for those sent to us by the courts and we continue to modernise the prison estate so that it delivers best value for the taxpayer. We have a long term strategy for managing the prison estate which will provide more adult male prison capacity than we inherited from the previous Government.We also have a range of contingencies available to manage temporary or unexpected increases in the population.

Ministry of Defence

Iraq

Mr Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's policy on the disclosure of information concerning lethal strikes in Iraq.

Mr Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Libya

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library (a) a copy of the risk assessment carried out by his Department in relation to the choice of Bassingbourn camp for the general purpose training of Libyan soldiers and (b) the steps taken to address each of the risks identified; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Libya

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2014 to Question 214129 on Libyan personnel on Bassingbourn base, for what reasons 16 Libyan General Purpose Force trainees were arrested; what information his Department holds on the whereabouts of those 11 trainees not remanded in custody; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Libya

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what cultural, recreational, heritage and military sites were visited by Libyan trainees from Bassingbourn camp; what the date of each such visit was; how many trainees took part in each such visit; how many UK armed forces personnel took part in each such visit; how many Libyan National Support Element personnel took part in each such visit; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Mark Francois: Holding answer received on 08 January 2015



The Libyan General Purpose Force (GPF), accompanied by members of the training team and National Support Element visited the following Military Sites; Stanford Training Area, Salisbury Plain Training Area, Longmoor Training Area, Lydd Ranges, Sennybridge Training Area, Barton Road Ranges, and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Cultural visits to The Houses of Parliament, Wellington Barracks, Foot Guards Museum, Household Cavalry Museum, Downing Street, changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace and Duxford Imperial War Museum also took place. The GPF were also escorted to shops in the local area, and Cambridge City Centre.

Libya

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether there were independent, non-governmental members of the team that conducted his Department's review of Libyan general purpose training; whether the review team interviewed representatives of local government, local police, health services and residents who had contact with Libyan trainees and victims; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Pakistan

Mr Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Joint Prioritised Effects List includes targets in Pakistan.

Mr Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Armed Forces Covenant: Northern Ireland

Dr William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress has been made on introducing the Armed Forces Covenant in Northern Ireland.

Anna Soubry: The Ministry of Defence has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Anniversaries: World War II

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans the Government has to commemorate the anniversaries of VJ and VE Days in 2015.

Anna Soubry: This Government recognises the importance of the 70th anniversaries of VE and VJ Day in 2015. Detailed planning is under way to ensure that Government Departments, local authorities and local communities work together with veterans to commemorate both anniversaries in a fitting manner. Further details will be made available in due course.

RAF Akrotiri

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2014 to Question 217721, when the catering arrangements were extended to assist with Op SHADER; what choices were in place on 4 December 2014; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

United Nations: Military Decorations

Sir Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2015 to Question 219981, what arrangements were put in place to inform qualifying servicemen and women of their eligibility to receive the UN Special Service medal for the Sarajevo Airlift; whether they are allowed to wear that medal; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2015 to Question 219980, what rules relating to the wearing of medals govern those UK servicemen and women who served in (a) Sarajevo and (b) other areas of the former Yugoslavia that were subject to both UN and NATO mandates.

Mr Julian Brazier: The information was originally promulgated to Armed Forces personnel and Ministry of Defence staff through Defence Council Instructions (DCIs). This was the usual method of issuing instructions and guidance pertaining to medals at that time.Her Majesty authorised the acceptance and wear of categories 2 and 3 of the UN Special Service Medal for the Sarajevo Airlift. Category 2 medals were awarded to personnel who served on the ground for 90 days or more with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) detachments at Ancona, Split and Zagreb. Category 3 medals were awarded to aircrew that completed 100 landings at Sarajevo.Detailed information on the rules governing the wearing of medals can be found in Joint Service Publication (JSP) 761 - Honours and Awards in the Armed Forces, which is available on-line at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/honours-and-awards-in-the-armed-forces-jsp-761

Department for Work and Pensions

Equality

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many equality impact assessments his Department produced in each year since 2006.

Esther McVey: The Department is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and which promote equality of opportunity. As an employer, we are also committed to equality and valuing diversity within our workforce. Our goal is to ensure that these commitments are embedded in our day to day working practices with all our customers, colleagues and partners. The Department is legally required to consider the impact of our policies and processes on people who share a protected characteristic, and to document our findings in order that we can provide evidence on this if challenged. Following changes to equality legislation, the Department began moving away from the previous formal Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) to Equality Analysis (EA) in April 2012. DWP takes very seriously its duty under the Equality Act 2010 and Equality Analysis is the Department’s approach to paying ‘due regard’ to the requirements of the Equality Act and enables equality to be considered as part of everyday decision making processes. It is the responsibility of individual policy areas to decide what is appropriate and proportionate for them when developing or implementing policies, services or changes that affect customers and DWP staff as the Equality Act does not specify a prescribed Equality Analysis process. As such we do not hold a central record of the number of equality analyses produced by the Department.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to page 28 of his Department's Work Programme Evaluation published in December 2014, what guidance his Department gives Work Programme providers on best practice in cases where the costs of support for those with greatest need exceed the payments available.

Esther McVey: The Department has not issued guidance to Work Programme providers on best practice in cases where the costs of support for those with greatest need exceed the payments available. From the inception of the programme to address provider concerns in this area the Work Programme model includes a ‘differential pricing’ structure. Under this providers are paid at different rates for outcomes achieved by different target groups (with outcomes for ‘harder-to-help’ groups being paid at higher rates than those for groups closer to the labour market).

Merseyside

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much of his Department's budget was allocated to (a) Wirral and (b) Birkenhead constituency in 2013-14.

Esther McVey: This information is not available or held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Personal Independence Payment

Dr Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria are employed to assess applicants for personal independent payments (PIPs); and what steps are being taken to ensure that those in need do not lose access to the payment following the switchover from disability living allowance to PIPs.

Mr Mark Harper: Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is intended to focus support on those individuals who experience the greatest barriers to living an independent life. Entitlement to PIP is primarily assessed by reference to a claimant’s ability to carry out daily living activities or mobility activities. The PIP Handbook (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/348736/pip-handbook-aug-14.pdf) provides greater detail on the entitlement conditions and the assessment criteria. Existing claimants of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) who were aged 16 to 64 on 8 April 2013, or who reach age 16 after that date, will be asked to claim PIP under programmes of natural and managed reassessment.  Such claimants will continue to receive DLA throughout the period their claim to PIP is being assessed so long as they comply with the claiming conditions. On determination of the PIP claim the claimant’s DLA will continue for a period of 4 weeks before the PIP decision takes effect.

Innovation Fund

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has issued guidance on the evaluation of Innovation Fund projects to support separated families.

Steve Webb: DWP officials work closely with all Innovation Fund projects as they deliver their services for separated families and collect relevant data for use in evaluation. The methodology of the formal evaluation will be agreed between DWP and the external evaluator with support from suppliers.

Children: Maintenance

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people who in the past (a) had nil assessments and (b) were in the first tranche of old case closures would be eligible for payments under the current child maintenance system.

Steve Webb: Nil assessed cases make up the first segment of Child Support Agency case closures. It is estimated that around 50,000 of these nil assessed CSA cases will be eligible for payments should a new application be made to the 2012 Scheme, administered by the Child Maintenance Service.

Personal Independence Payment: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for a personal independence payment are still awaiting determination in (a) Warrington and (b) Warrington North constituency.

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in (a) Warrington and (b) Warrington North constituency have waited more than six months for a personal independence payment application to be determined in the last three years.

Mr Mark Harper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 January 2015 to Question UIN 220004 .

Children: Maintenance

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2014 to Question 906491, when he will publish data on how many victims of domestic violence are using the exemption to the child maintenance application fee.

Steve Webb: We are not yet in a position to release full statistics on the 2012 Scheme, administered by the Child Maintenance Service, but when system data become available and fully assured they will be released as part of a managed process, which will be pre-announced and in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Children: Maintenance

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average cost per case is under the new child maintenance system.

Steve Webb: We are not yet in a position to release full statistics on the 2012 Scheme, administered by the Child Maintenance Service, but when system data become available and fully assured they will be released as part of a managed process, which will be pre-announced and in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Universal Credit

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the £2,000 tax free childcare allowance is available to those on universal credit.

Steve Webb: In 2013 Budget, the Government announced a new childcare scheme called Tax-Free Childcare to provide further support for working families who do not receive Universal Credit. Tax-Free Childcare will offer working families, where neither parent is an additional rate tax payer, 20% support towards qualifying childcare costs – the equivalent of basic tax relief. Childcare support is offered to parents on Universal Credit as part of a welfare system designed to make sure that work pays for those who need the most support. Childcare costs are taken into account in calculating working parents’ Universal Credit awards, and it is therefore right that a parent in receipt of Universal Credit cannot receive support under this scheme at the same time. The new Tax-Free Childcare scheme will support families as they increase their income and, for the first time, families can be sure that support for childcare costs will be available as they move off benefits altogether. Whilst parents can only receive support from one scheme at any time, where families are eligible for both they will have the freedom to choose the scheme which best meets their needs and will be able to move freely between schemes when they experience a relevant change in circumstances. Draft guidance for parents on Tax-Free Childcare has already been published online for consultation.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Dairy Farming

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will meet the Chairman and Board of First Milk to discuss the effect of that body's recent announcements on milk prices, delays in payments and increased capital levy contributions on the viability of farmers who supply it.

George Eustice: The Secretary of State and I have spoken to the Chairman of First Milk to discuss the recent announcement on milk prices and the impact this will have on farmers. We are closely monitoring the situation and are in contact with milk industry experts to consider if any further action is appropriate.I will continue to work closely with the dairy industry as a whole to manage price volatility. Most recently I met the Chairman of First Milk on Monday evening.

Cane Sugar: Imports

Ms Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that cane sugar importation from African and Caribbean countries is protected when EU beet sugar quotas are lifted in 2017.

George Eustice: Defra has been working closely with the Department for International Development and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to ensure that the Economic Partnership Agreements between African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and the EU are concluded. This will ensure that African and Caribbean countries continue to benefit from preferential access to the EU for their sugar.

Bass: Conservation

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to protect bass fish stocks during spawning in January 2015 since meetings with EU officials on 16 December 2014; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice: At the December Council we secured a statement that underlined the commitment of the Commission and Member States involved in the bass fishery to take urgent action to reduce fishing pressure, protect spawning aggregations and so prevent a collapse of the stock. The Government followed up this commitment by formally requesting emergency measures to protect bass during the spawning season (January to April). The Commission has responded positively to the UK request and has now tabled such a measure for consideration by the fisheries management committee.

Dairy Farming

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to support British dairy industry producers whose payments by First Milk have been delayed.

George Eustice: I have spoken to the Chairman of First Milk to discuss the recent announcement on milk prices and the impact this will have on farmers. We are closely monitoring the situation and are in contact with milk industry experts to consider if any further action is appropriate.I will continue to work closely with the dairy industry as a whole to manage price volatility. At this week’s farming resilience summit I will be discussing ways of offering support to address the problems of severe market volatility with the NFU, high street banks, and farming industry experts.The £141 million Countryside Productivity Scheme will include measures to help dairy farmers. We have given dairy farmers the opportunity to unite in Producer Organisations so they have greater influence in the marketplace. We are helping the dairy industry to take advantage of opportunities such as opening new export markets and pushing for better country of origin labelling for British dairy products.

Fracking

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish by 16 January 2015 the Shale Gas Rural Economy Impacts report; and if she will make a statement.

Dan Rogerson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Bassetlaw, John Mann, on 11 September 2014, Official Report, column 723W.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Councillors: Pensions

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will place in the Library correspondence he has received from Essex County Council and Brentwood Council on changes to councillors' eligibility for the Local Government Pension Scheme.

Kris Hopkins: Brentwood Borough Council did not send in a response to the consultation on “Taxpayer-funded pensions for councillors and other elected local office holders”. A copy of Essex County Council’s response is attached. This differential interest no doubt reflects the fact that Brentwood Borough Council did not have any councillors in the Local Government Pension Scheme (a consequence of the decision of my hon. Friend, the Member for Great Yarmouth, when he was leader of the Council not to join the scheme), whereas Essex did. Non-participating councils tended not to respond to the consultation. Prior to the consultation, only 16 per cent of councillors were actually members of the scheme and only 55 councils actually responded. The majority of Councils and Councillors submitted no objection to the Government’s proposal to end Councillor’s access to the Local Government Pension Scheme. Such taxpayer-funded local government pensions have now been abolished, subject to practical transition measures introduced as a result of the consultation. These reforms will save taxpayers’ money, strengthen the independence of councillors, and reflects that the fact that councillors are not salaried employees of the council. Nothing prevents councillors from contributing to their own private personal pension, receiving tax relief like any other member of the public. The suggestion by some that these changes would discourage people from running for election has not been borne out. In this year’s London borough elections, all candidates nominated in the knowledge that there would be no taxpayer-funded pensions if they were elected; yet more candidates ran for election in London in 2014 than in 2010 (source: London datastore). I suspect that the council tax-paying public would be less than impressed at the Labour Party’s calls to reintroduce such taxpayer-funded pensions. 



Letter - Essex County Council Response
(PDF Document, 467.05 KB)

Devolution: West Midlands

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with local authorities in the West Midlands on the devolution of his Department's powers to that urban area; and if he will make a statement.

Kris Hopkins: We have regular discussions with local authorities on a range of issues associated with localism. I refer my hon. Friend to the recent command paper, Implications of devolution for England (Cm 8969) which sets our approach to further decentralisation in England. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/implications-of-devolution-for-england I would also note the recent Written Ministerial Statement on the governance of Birmingham City Council of 9 December 2014, Official Report, Column 27WS, which follows the review by Sir Bob Kerslake.

Local Government Finance

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much funding his Department (a) spends directly on and (b) allocates to local authorities for integration work.

Stephen Williams: Holding answer received on 28 November 2014



I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement of 18 December, Official Report, Columns 110-118WS, which outlines my Department’s spending profile on integration. The majority of integration projects are led by charities, businesses and faith groups, some in partnership with local authorities. The following local authorities have received funding directly from my Department for projects listed in that Written Ministerial Statement:Project Local authorityFundingArts and CommunitiesArts and CommunitiesArts and CommunitiesBirminghamBradfordBurnley£80,000£80,000£80,000English LanguageEnglish LanguageEnglish LanguageCity of LondonManchesterSlough£819,000£1,076,593£48,674Gurkha FundRushmoor£1,500,000National Special Interest Group on the English Defence LeagueBlackburn with Darwen£200,000 World War One – Woking Peace GardenWoking£50,000

Social Rented Housing

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of people on the waiting list for social housing at the latest date for which figures are available were identified as (a) white British and (b) from any other ethnic group.

Brandon Lewis: DCLG does not collect data directly from social housing waiting lists but according to the English Housing Survey in 2012-13 in England, there were 680 thousand (74%) white British households and 236 thousand (26%) households from any other ethnic group where at least one person within the household was on the waiting list for social housing.More broadly, I would observe that local authority housing waiting lists in England under the last Administration soared from 1.02 million households in April 1997 to 1.74 million in April 2010. Under this Government, waiting lists have now fallen to 1.37 million as of April 2014 (source: Local Authority Housing Statistics, which uses different methodology to the English Housing Survey).

Local Plans

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 7.42 of the National Infrastructure Plan published in December 2013, what the outcome was of the Government's plan to consult on measures to improve local plan-making, including a statutory requirement to put a local plan in place.

Brandon Lewis: The Localism Act has strengthened the role of Local Plans, allowing local councils – in consultation with local residents – to draw up plans and determine where new development should and should not go. However, we have resolved not to take forward the December 2013 proposal for consultation at this point in time. Paragraph 14 of the National Planning Policy Framework already provides a very strong incentive for councils to have a Local Plan in place. As a result, 80 per cent of councils now have a published Local Plan. In addition, there are high numbers of Plans at examination. To place this in context, six years after the Labour Government's 2004 Planning Act, by May 2010, only one in six local planning authorities had an adopted Core Strategy, reflecting how the torturous regional planning process slowed down development and stymied local plan-making and local decision-making. We are working with the remaining local councils to help them deliver up to date plans. I am aware that the Labour Party's Lyons Review proposed that sanctions should be imposed against councils without a Local Plan and that the Secretary of State should direct the Planning Inspectorate to produce a Local Plan in place of the Council. However, I believe that proposal is excessively centralising, and would be an unpalatable re-creation of the top-down planning regime that we abolished in the Localism Act. Drawing up a Local Plan can be challenging – it involves trade-offs and hard choices, and there is no longer Regional Planning Guidance or Regional Spatial Strategy imposed from above to hide behind and blame. But it is our preference for this to be a locally-led process.

Youth Services

Ms Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the (a) actual and (b) percentage change in expenditure on young people's services (i) in total and (ii) per head of, population was in each English local authority between 2009-10 and 2013-14.

Kris Hopkins: Holding answer received on 05 January 2015



Figures between 2009-10 and 2013-14 are simply not comparative at a local authority level, due to changes in local authority responsibilities, as well as the shift to Academy status away from Local Education Authorities. Raw Revenue Outturn data is available on our website. Mid-year population statistic s are published by the Office for National Statistics.

Conditions of Employment

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many staff are employed on zero-hours contracts in the office of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in his Department, the hon. Member for Keighley.

Kris Hopkins: None.

Staff

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many unpaid (a) interns and (b) other staff work in the office of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in his Department, the hon. Member for Keighley.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many interns are employed to work in the office of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in his Department, the hon. Member for Keighley.

Kris Hopkins: None. More broadly, the Department is committed to offering internships through a number of Whitehall and departmental programs. The majority of our interns are recruited from central Civil Service Diversity programs. This includes the Whitehall Internship, a 2 week funded residential placement aimed at improving workplace skills for students aged 16-18 from underrepresented groups, and the Fast Stream Summer Diversity Internship, which aims to encourage a more diverse mix of applicants for the Civil Service Fast Stream program. Our departmental internships are short-term development opportunities hosted by the Department, which are advertised on the Civil Service jobs website.

Community Relations

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Written Statement of 18 December 2014, HCWS154, on integration update, what funding he has provided to each of the projects and activities listed.

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Written Statement of 18 December 2014, HCWS154, on integration update, what funding he has provided for each of the projects and activities listed as previously funded.

Stephen Williams: The attached tables give a breakdown of expenditure on the specific integration projects and activities which were included in the Written Ministerial Statement.



Expenditure on Integration Projects
(Word Document, 26.13 KB)

Care Homes

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many care homes have been visited by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in his Department, the hon. Member for Keighley, since October 2013.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the location was of each care home visited by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in his Department, the hon. Member for Keighley, since October 2013.

Kris Hopkins: In 2015/16 we will create a £5.3 billion pooled budget for health and social care- the Better Care Fund. This not only provides the resources needed to protect social care services, but also breaks new ground in establishing structures that will drive further and faster integration between health and social care. Since the summer I have visited a number of places to see how integration is progressing, including Sedgemoor Care Home in Liverpool, I have also seen innovative practice in Sunderland, Leicester and Camden. I look forward to visiting further areas in the next few months as the Better Care Fund shifts from planning to implementation.

Public Houses

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many community pubs have been visited in an official capacity by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in his Department, the hon. Member for Keighley, since he took up that post.

Kris Hopkins: Since taking on the role of Minister for Community Pubs in July 2014, I have visited a number of community pubs in an official capacity, including the Star Inn pub in Salford, the Golden Ball pub in York and the Fox and Goose pub in Hebden Bridge. I look forward to visiting further pubs run by and for the local community in coming months. Local pubs are part of the social and cultural fabric of our nation, and this Government is determined to protect them. We have already abolished the unpopular beer and alcohol duty escalators, cut business taxes for pubs and provided communities with greater powers to protect their treasured local from closure by listing it as a community asset.

Offices

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the area in square metres is of the Ministerial office of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in his Department, the hon. Member for Keighley.

Kris Hopkins: My office has a floor area of 39 square metres. This compares with 65 square metres in our old building of Eland House, which we inherited from the last Labour Government. The Department has made substantial savings of taxpayers' money by relocating from Eland House to Marsham Street and rationalising space, delivering total savings of £220 million over the lifetime of the building’s lease commitments.

Temporary Accommodation

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many homeless shelters have been visited by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in his Department, the hon. Member for Keighley, since October 2013.

Kris Hopkins: I have visited a number of homeless shelters, including First Stop in York, the Skylight Centre in East London, the Edward Alsop Lifehouse in London, the Riverside Day Centre in Manchester and Foundation Enterprises North West in Chester. This Government has increased spending to prevent homelessness, making over £500 million available to help the most vulnerable in society and have kept strong protections to guard families against the threat of homelessness. Thousands of vulnerable people have been helped off the streets through initiatives such as No Second Night Out, which we supported with the £20 million Homelessness Transition Fund, and Streetlink. However, we are determined to do more, which is why I have recently announced £23 million funding to help 1,600 vulnerable homeless young people get their lives back on track with the £15 million Fair Chance fund. In addition, the £8 million Help for Single Homeless Fund will support around 22,000 single homeless people.

Government Procurement Card

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the Government Procurement Card total spend contribution has been from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in his Department, the hon. Member for Keighley, since he took up that post.

Kris Hopkins: Nothing. This is in contrast to the spendthrift practices of the last Administration.

Domestic Visits

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many visits in the UK as part of his official duties have been carried out by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at his Department, the hon. Member for Keighley, since October 2013; and what the (a) location, (b) date, (c) cost and (d) purpose was of each such visit.

Kris Hopkins: Since October 2013 I have undertaken the following visits on a range of topics across my ministerial responsibilities: Northamptonshire County Council area, on 8 October 2013; Kirklees Council area, on 4 November 2013; Swindon Borough Council area, on 7 November 2013; City of York Council area, on 14 November 2013; London Borough of Lambeth area, on 19 November 2013; Newcastle-under-Lyme District Council area, on 28 November 2013; Birmingham City Council area, on 28 November 2013; Leeds City Council area, on 2 December 2013; Leeds City Council area, on 7 December 2013; London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham area, on 10 December 2013; Corby Borough Council area, on 9 January 2014; Northamptonshire County Council area, on 9 January 2014; Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council area, on 23 January 2014; Sheffield City Council area, on 23 January 2014; Lancashire City Council area, on 24 January 2014; London Borough of Tower Hamlets area, on 27 January 2014; London Borough of Tower Hamlets area, on 4 February 2014; Leeds City Council area, on 14 February 2014; Huntingdonshire District Council area, on 24 February 2014; Milton Keynes Council area, on 24 February 2014; City of Westminster area, on 12 March 2014; Pendle Borough Council area, on 14 March 2014; London Borough of Barking and Dagenham area, on 24 March 2014; Wakefield Metropolitan District Council area, on 27 March 2014; Carlisle City Council area, on 31 March 2014; Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Council area, on 31 March 2014; Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Council area, on 1 April 2014; Sunderland City Council area, on 1 April 2014; Swindon Borough Council area, on 8 April 2014; Gloucester City Council area, on 8 April 2014; Norfolk County Council area, on 10 April 2014; City of York Council area, on 25 April 2014; Leeds City Council area, on 25 April 2014; Cheshire East Council area, on 28 April 2014; Manchester City Council area, on 28 April 2014; Royal Borough of Greenwich area, on 29 April 2014; City of Westminster area, on 29 April 2014; Northamptonshire County Council area, on 1 May 2014; Newark and Sherwood District Council area, on 19 May 2014; Bradford Metropolitan District Council area, on 23 May 2014; Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, on 28 May 2014; Sheffield City Council area, on 1 June 2014; Manchester City Council area, on 2 June 2014; Liverpool City Council area, on 2 June 2014; Newham London Borough Council area, on 3 June 2014; London Borough of Camden area, on 10 June 2014; Newquay Town Council area, on 18 June 2014; Cornwall Council area, on 18 June 2014; Plymouth City Council area, on 19 June 2014; East Devon District Council area, on 19 June 2014; Bristol City Council area, on 20 June 2014; Manchester City Council area, on 25 June 2014; Manchester City Council area, on 13 August 2014; Sheffield City Council area, on 14 August 2014; Harrogate Borough Council area, on 14 August 2014; City of York Council area, on 14 August 2014; Sunderland City Council area, on 11 September 2014; Durham County Council area, on 11 September 2014; London Borough of Hounslow area, on 18 September 2014; Cheshire West and Cheshire Council area, on 22 September 2014; Liverpool City Council area, on 22 September 2014; Bradford Metropolitan District Council area, on 25 September 2014; Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council area, on 11 November 2014; Calderdale Council area, on 11 November 2014; Kirklees Council area, on 14 November 2014; Leicestershire County Council area, on 21 November 2014; Melton Borough Council area, on 21 November 2014; Waltham Forest Borough Council area, on 25 November 2014; Kirklees Council area, on 27 November 2014; Bury Metropolitan Borough Council area, on 28 November 2014; Teignbridge District council area, on 2 December 2014. The full information requested by the hon. Member could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Visits Abroad

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many overseas visits in an official capacity have been carried out by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in his Department, the hon. Member for Keighley, since March 2014; and what the (a) location, (b) date, (c) cost and (d) purpose was of each such visit.

Kris Hopkins: Transparency data published on the Department’s website provides details of overseas visits undertaken by Ministers in connection with their official duties. The latest published quarterly return provides information from January to March 2014. In advance of publication of the latest returns I can confirm I have made no overseas visits in an official capacity as Parliamentary under Secretary for Communities and Local Government.

Gifts and Endowments

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what gifts have been received by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in his Department, the hon. Member for Keighley, since March 2014.

Kris Hopkins: Transparency data published on the Department’s website provides details of gifts ministers give or receive in connection with their official duties with a value in excess of £140. The latest published quarterly returns provide information from January to March 2014.In advance of publication of the latest returns I can confirm I have received no gifts of a value that requires them be listed. I have received a small number of gifts of modest value which have been disposed of by the Department.

Gifts and Endowments

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what gifts have been received by staff in the office of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in his Department, the hon. Member for Keighley, since October 2013.

Kris Hopkins: The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. The Code makes clear that civil servants must not misuse their official position by accepting gifts or hospitality or receiving other benefits. Accordingly, no gifts have been accepted by members of my Ministerial office.

Community Relations

Mr David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2015 to the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion, to Question 218133, to which policies he was referring as the Government's broader social inclusion and integration policies.

Stephen Williams: I refer the rt. hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement on integration made by my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Eric Pickles) on 18 December 2014, Official Report, column 110-118WS and to the Government's Social Mobility Strategy Opening Doors, Breaking Barriers, published in 2011.

Mortgages: Lewisham

Dame Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many people in (a) Lewisham, Deptford constituency and (b) the Borough of Lewisham have been assisted by the (i) Help to Buy equity loan and (ii) Help to Buy mortgage guarantee schemes; and what the (A) range and (B) average value has been of mortgages so assisted.

Brandon Lewis: This Government is committed to supporting people’s aspirations to own their own home. By 30 November 2014, 83 families had bought a home with the assistance of the three Help to Buy schemes in the constituency of Lewisham, Deptford. This includes 59 families using the support of Help the Buy: Equity Loan and 24 families using the support of Help to Buy: Mortgage Guarantee scheme. By 30 November 2014, 180 families in the London Borough of Lewisham had bought a home with the assistance of the three Help to Buy schemes. This includes 66 families using the Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme and 85 families using the Help to Buy: Mortgage Guarantee scheme. Statistics on the average purchase price of a property bought under the schemes are all produced and published at the national level, but not at the level of constituency or local authority. The Department’s official statistics on sales for the respective Help to Buy schemes are available at: Help to Buy: Equity Loan (broken down by constituency, local authority and postcode): www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/help-to-buy-equity-loan-scheme-monthly-statistics Help to Buy: Mortgage Guarantee (broken down by constituency, local authority and postcode): www.gov.uk/government/statistics/help-to-buy-mortgage-guarantee-scheme-quarterly-statistics-october-2013-to-september-2014 Help to Buy: New Buy (broken down by local authority): www.gov.uk/government/statistics/help-to-buy-equity-loan-scheme-and-help-to-buy-newbuy-statistics-april-2013-to-september-2014. Figures are not available by constituency.

Merseyside

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much of his Department's budget was allocated to (a) Wirral and (b) Birkenhead constituency in 2013-14.

Kris Hopkins: The Department for Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

HM Treasury

Public Expenditure

Ian Lucas: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has been paid to (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland in the Barnett consequentials in each of the last five years.

Danny Alexander: I refer you to the press releases published alongside fiscal events setting out the impact for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as a result of the Barnett formula.

Small Businesses: VAT

Caroline Lucas: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received on recent changes to the VAT regulation on (a) digital and (b) other small and micro businesses which fall below the existing VAT threshold in the UK; what estimate he has made of the likely additional costs to such businesses; if he will take steps to ensure that UK businesses below the VAT threshold in the UK are not negatively affected by such changes; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Gauke: All EU businesses that make supplies covered by the new rules will have to account for VAT in the Member States in which their customers are located.   HMRC has provided extensive guidance to assist businesses including organising a Twitter Clinic and publishing answers to the main questions and has met with Enterprise Nation to hear the concerns of micro businesses.   HMRC has taken a number of steps to assist small businesses in particular. These include allowing businesses below the VAT registration threshold to register for VAT for their cross border sales only which will enable them to access the on-line Mini One Stop Shop which removes the need to register for VAT in other Member States.

Listed Buildings: VAT

Mr Dominic Raab: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue has (a) accrued and (b) he expects will accrue as a result of the measures taken in 2012 to extend VAT to alterations to listed buildings.

Mr David Gauke: Data is not available on the VAT accrued from alterations to listed buildings as this is not itemised separately on VAT returns.   At Budget 2012, estimates of the Exchequer impact were published in the relevant Tax Impact and Information Note (TIIN):   http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2012/tiin-4806.pdf

Local Government: Recruitment

Tessa Munt: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to limit the use by local authorities of personal service limited companies for hiring personnel.

Mr David Gauke: The government is committed to tackling all forms of tax avoidance and evasion and to ensuring that everyone pays their fair share of tax.   Off-payroll workers including those working for limited companies play an important role in helping public sector organisations meet short term needs for specialist advice and interim services. However, it is essential that these workers are meeting their tax obligations.   Decisions on recruitment are a matter for individual Local Authorities. However, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government published guidance in 2012 and 2013 which said local authorities should actively review their use of arrangements which could be seen to minimise tax payments.   In addition, the Government has made it increasingly difficult for payments made to sole traders or contractors working in local government to be hidden from the public. The Transparency Code 2014 now means authorities are legally bound to disclose information on all payments of £500 or more to bodies acting in a business capacity.   New tighter rules governing ‘off-payroll’ appointments in central government were established in May 2012 when the Chief Secretary to the Treasury published the Review of the Tax Arrangements of Public Sector Appointees. The recommendations of the Review mean that the most senior staff must go on the payroll, and departments will be able to seek assurance in relation to the tax arrangements of their long-term, high paid contractors.

Revenue and Customs

Mr Iain Wright: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will arrange for the Chief Executive of HM Revenue and Customs to provide a substantive response to the letter of 13 November 2014 from the hon. Member for Hartlepool on behalf of his constituent, Mr McGovern.

Mr David Gauke: Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) gave a full response to the hon. Member on 5 December 2014. A duplicate copy was also delivered on 9 January 2015 with a further copy sent by post on the same day to the constituency office of the hon. Member for Hartlepool.

Public Expenditure

Paul Flynn: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any resources or staff of his Department were used in the drafting of or analysis for the document A Cost Analysis of Labour Party Policy, published by the Conservative Party on 5 January 2015.

Priti Patel: The document in question was a Conservative party publication and no civil servants were involved in its drafting. Among other sources, the document quotes official Opposition Costings carried out by Government officials and published separately on the Treasury website. The formal costing of Opposition policies is a longstanding practice, which has been carried out under successive administrations, in line with the Civil Service Code and clear Treasury guidance

Trade Unions

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2015 to Question 203110, what the total cost of administering his Department's employee check-off service is; and which organisations contribute financially towards that service.

Priti Patel: It would incur disproportionate costs to calculate the total administrative cost of the payments. PCS contribute the annual payment cost.

National Insurance Contributions

Mr Frank Field: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost to the public purse is of exempting intra-company transfer workers from overseas from paying national insurance contributions.

Mr David Gauke: This information is not available, I refer the Honourable Member to the reply I gave to the Rt. Honourable Member for Delyn on 8 January 2014: Column 238W.

Home Care Services: Tax Allowances

Charlotte Leslie: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to grant tax relief to those who fund their own social care costs and are not entitled to any direct financial assistance from the Government.

Mr David Gauke: The Government is currently introducing historic and fundamental changes to social care funding which will mean that more people receive help with the costs of social care. Central to these reforms will be a cap on reasonable care costs set at £72,000 from April 2016 and an extension of means tested support. These will give financial support to more people and will ensure that nobody will face the prospect of unlimited care costs. In addition a universal offer of deferred payment agreements will come into force from April 2015 which means nobody will be forced to sell their home in their lifetime to pay for care.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

International Climate Fund

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, to which countries and for what purpose his Department's contribution to the International Climate Fund has been spent; and what proportion of such funding (a) has been allocated to any multilateral institutions and (b) is (i) capital and (ii) resource expenditure.

Amber Rudd: The Department of Energy and Climate Change is investing its share of the International Climate Fund in supporting low carbon development in developing countries and on reducing deforestation.To date, we have made specific investments in the following countries; China, South Africa, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Nigeria, Algeria, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam and Uganda. Other countries will have also benefitted from our investments into global multilateral funds.The majority of our investments are via multilateral institutions, including bilateral programmes delivered by these institutions. These institutions have the capacity to manage large investments and, as experts in their fields, provide high quality programmes and results.The breakdown of investment is as follows: Global multilateralsBilateral programme delivered through a multilateralBilateral£799,863,599£75,000,001£127,682,098Of this £963,324,839 is capital expenditure and £39,220,859 is resource expenditure.

Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made of links between air temperatures and the level of payments under the non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive in each month since the start of that scheme.

Amber Rudd: Holding answer received on 12 January 2015



Non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) installations are paid on a quarterly basis. Applicants are required to submit heat meter readings every 3 months from the date when the (accredited) application was submitted. The meter readings are used to measure how much heat was generated in this period, which is used to calculate the level of payment.Using the quarterly data collected, we have assessed the seasonality of renewable heat used in the scheme, using natural gas demand as a comparator – see Chart 1 attached. Our assessment shows that the amount of renewable heat produced under the non-domestic RHI correlates to the variation of gas demand. This suggests that demand for heat under the RHI varies with season to the same pattern as traditional fossil fuels.



Seasonality of renewable heat used and natural gas
(PDF Document, 57.06 KB)

Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the average heat output was for (a) all and (b) biomass systems operating under the non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive scheme in each month since the start of that scheme.

Amber Rudd: Holding answer received on 12 January 2015



Due to meter readings being collected quarterly and because there are no discrete payment periods common to all RHI applicants we are unable to provide average heat outputs per month. The table below provides average quarterly heat outputs between the start of the scheme and 30 November 2014.  Average quarterly heat outputsBiomass systems84,000 KWhNon-biomass systems68,000 KWhAll systems83,000 KWh I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him today to Question 219696, which contains an assessment of the seasonality of renewable heat used in the scheme, compared to natural gas demand as a comparator. This assessment suggests that demand for heat under the RHI varies with season to the same pattern as traditional fossil fuels.

Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the average subsidy payment per site of (a) all installed non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and (b) biomass systems operating under the non-domestic RHI scheme was in each month since the start of that scheme.

Amber Rudd: Holding answer received on 12 January 2015



Non-domestic RHI applicants are required to submit heat meter readings every 3 months from the date when their (accredited) application was submitted. Subsequently, subsidy payments are then calculated and paid based on these quarterly heat meter readings.The table below gives average quarterly subsidy payment per installation between the start of the scheme and 30 November 2014:  Average quarterly subsidy paymentBiomass systems£4,000Non-biomass systems£4,600All systems£4,000 I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him today to Question 219696, which contains an assessment of the seasonality of renewable heat used in the scheme, compared to natural gas demand as a comparator. This assessment suggests that demand for heat under the RHI varies with season to the same pattern as traditional fossil fuels.

Energy: Meters

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has  made of the likely level of any extra funds the Date Communications Company may request before May 2015 regarding the smart meter roll-out.

Amber Rudd: In line with its licence requirements, the Data and Communications Company (DCC) published a draft Charging Statement in December 2014 for its service charges for the Regulatory Year ending 31 March 2016. This Charging Statement will be published in a form approved by Ofgem in accordance with the DCC’s Licence on 31 March 2015.The draft Charging Statement notes that actual costs may vary owing to a number of uncertainties, one of which is the proposed changes to the DCC’s Plan and Implementation Milestones, consulted on by the DCC late last year. No decisions have been taken on this, and therefore the additional costs are not yet finalised. DCC’s consultation estimates the additional costs arising from the revised plan to be in the region of £60 million - £90 million. These costs would be recovered from the DCC’s service users over a number of years. The DCC is regulated by Ofgem, which conducts an ex post review of DCC’s costs to ensure that they are economically and efficiently incurred.The procurement of the service providers for the GB-wide smart meters data and communication systems, completed in September 2013, was delivered £375 million below the estimated costs set out in our January 2013 Impact Assessment.The latest Impact Assessment, published in January 2014, estimates the total costs of the Programme to be about £10.9 billion, with total benefits of about £17.1 billion, providing a strong business case for the roll-out with net benefits of £6 billion.

Public Expenditure

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to page 99 of his Department's Annual Report and Accounts for 2013-14, what the purpose and function is of spending categorised under professional services.

Amber Rudd: The purpose and function of spending categorised under professional services includes principally outsourced programme management, project management, financial advice, legal services and economic consultancy and research.

Public Expenditure

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to page 99 of his Department's Annual Report and Accounts for 2013-14, what the reasons are for the change in spending on professional services between 2012-13 and 2013-14 for (a) the core department and (b) the departmental group.

Amber Rudd: The purpose and function of spending categorised under professional services includes principally outsourced programme management, project management, financial advice, legal services and economic consultancy and research.The level of spending on professional services varies from time to time according to business needs and the stage of the major programmes and projects which the department and its non-departmental public bodies are delivering.

Housing: Insulation

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if he will estimate how many properties which are at risk of flooding have mineral fibre or polystyrene bead cavity wall insulation.

Amber Rudd: Holding answer received on 12 January 2015



It is not possible to provide such an estimate, as data on the geographical distribution of mineral fibre or polystyrene bead cavity wall insulation is not available.

Solar Power

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the timetable is for the forthcoming Comprehensive Review of solar feed-in-tariffs consultation; and if he will make a statement.

Amber Rudd: The scope of the periodic reviews has not been set.

Energy: Meters

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2014, Official Report, column 524W, on Supply Estimates, which elements of the roll out of smart meters are being funded by his Department.

Amber Rudd: The funding referred to relates solely to the expenditure on the Government part of the Smart Metering Implementation Programme within the Department of Energy and Climate Change. The Department does not fund energy suppliers, energy consumers or industry delivery bodies such as the Data and Communications Company or Smart Energy GB through this Programme.

Energy: Meters

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2014, Official Report, column 524W, on Supply Estimates, what proportion of the total cost of the roll out of smart meters is being met from the public purse; and what criteria his Department used to decide on that proportion.

Amber Rudd: The only expenditure relating to the Smart Metering Implementation Programme that comes from the public purse is the direct cost to Government of delivering the Programme.This represents around 1% of the Programme’s total costs.DECC’s budget for the Smart Metering Implementation Programme is set annually through the Business Planning Cycle and is based on the programme of work to be carried out to achieve the programme objectives. The budget is not set as a proportion of the total cost of the roll-out of smart meters. The roll-out has been designed to be led by industry, with Government taking a strategic role of oversight.

Solar Power

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when his Department will publish its response to its consultation on transferability of rooftop solar photovoltaic which was launched in 2014.

Amber Rudd: DECC officials are in the process of considering responses to the consultation on transferability of rooftop solar PV, in order to prepare the Government response.

Solar Power

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when his Department plans to publish its response to its consultation on the transferability of rooftop solar photovoltaic consultation, published in November 2014.

Amber Rudd: DECC officials are in the process of considering responses to the consultation on transferability of rooftop solar PV, in order to prepare the Government response.

Northern Ireland Office

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Dr William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions she has had with the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: I have regular discussions with the Chief Constable about a wide range of topics, including PSNI resources and tackling the terrorist threat. The security of UK citizens remains this Government’s highest priority.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Dr William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions she has had with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive on securing adequate resources for the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: This Government has provided additional security funding of £231m to support PSNI in their efforts to tackle the threat from Northern Ireland Related Terrorism. This funding is not affected by the budget reductions imposed by the Northern Ireland ExecutiveI am in regular contact with the Chief Constable and the Minister of Justice in Northern Ireland to ensure that we understand the impact of funding reductions imposed by the Northern Ireland Executive on the PSNI’s ability to police the terrorist threat. The recent Stormont House Agreement includes an undertaking by the Northern Ireland Executive to seek to ensure that the PSNI budget (and community policing in particular) is protected from significant reductions.

Education

Ms Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the UK Government Financial Package to Northern Ireland under the Stormont House Agreement, how much of the up to £500 million new capital funding will be to support (a) shared and (b) integrated education.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: The Stormont House Agreement financial package included a contribution of up to £500 million over 10 years of new capital funding to support shared and integrated education subject to individual projects being agreed between the Executive and the Government. There is no defined split in funding between shared and integrated education.

Department for Culture Media and Sport

Broadband

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what amount the Government has budgeted for the current media campaign on superfast broadband; and whether that campaign was discussed or co-ordinated with superfast broadband suppliers.

Mr Edward Vaizey: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 07 January 2015.The correct answer should have been:

Based on DCMS insight and research the Government concluded that an advertising campaign would promote a greater take up of superfast broadband. For the areas to be covered by the Government's phase 1 Superfast Broadband Programme, we estimate that up to a further £120m will be generated for investment in further coverage for every 10 percentage point increase on the programme's 20% take-up baseline. The quicker people take up services in the areas delivered with public funding, the quicker funding is returned for reinvestment by the supplier; we therefore launched an £8 million national marketing campaign to raise awareness.The budget for the campaign was based on evidence of previous government campaigns to reach the optimum amount of our target audience. The campaign was coordinated with suppliers and both BT and Virgin Media have linked their advertising to it.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Based on DCMS insight and research the Government concluded that an advertising campaign would promote a greater take up of superfast broadband. For the areas to be covered by the Government's phase 1 Superfast Broadband Programme, we estimate that up to a further £120m will be generated for investment in further coverage for every 10 percentage point increase on the programme's 20% take-up baseline. The quicker people take up services in the areas delivered with public funding, the quicker funding is returned for reinvestment by the supplier; we therefore launched an £8 million national marketing campaign to raise awareness.The budget for the campaign was based on evidence of previous government campaigns to reach the optimum amount of our target audience. The campaign was coordinated with suppliers and both BT and Virgin Media have linked their advertising to it.

Culture

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to support culture and the arts.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Government is committed to supporting the arts, to provide culture for all, ensuring the economic, social and intrinsic benefits are available to everyone. During the life of this Parliament, almost £3bn will be provided to Arts Council England by the Government in grant-in aid and National Lottery money. The Government recently launched a Theatre Tax Relief which will support strong growth in the theatre sector right across the country and a National Plan for Music Education with the Department of Education which is investing £246 million into music education.

Arts

Mr David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the contribution of creative industries to the economy.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Creative Industries Economic Estimates were published on 13 January 2015. They show that the sector has grown with the GVA in 2013 as £76.9bn, an 9.9% increase. The sector accounted for 1.71 million jobs in 2013 and the value of services exported was £17.3 billion in 2012

Sport: Females

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to increase women's participation in sport and physical activity.

Mrs Helen Grant: The number of women regularly participating in sport is up by over 588,800 since we won the Olympic bid in 2005 and has increased by 62,800 in the last year alone. However the gap between men's and women's participation is still too large. We have an independent group advising us on how best to address this, from encouraging participation through the ‘This Girl Can’ campaign launched this week, to increasing media coverage and sponsorship, and getting more women into leadership positions.

Deputy Prime Minister

Electoral Register

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the effect of proposed changes to identity checks on applicants to register as voters on people with the protected characteristic of gender reassignment; whether he has sought legal advice on the compatibility of those proposed changes with (a) the Equality Act 2010 and (b) the Human Rights Act 1998; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Sam Gyimah: In accordance with the Representation of the People Regulations (for both England, Wales and Scotland) 2001, information provided in Individual Electoral Registration (IER) applications is checked against government records to verify the identity of applicants. As part of this, provision of information about a change of name within the last 12 months is mandatory. Provision of previous names beyond this timeframe is voluntary. This is consistent with the relevant provisions of the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998.

Local Enterprise Partnerships: Yorkshire and the Humber

Miss Anne McIntosh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what recent discussions he has had with the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership on infrastructure funding; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Clark: The Deputy Prime Minister has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department of Health

Abortion

Mr David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures his Department has in place to ensure that independent-sector providers of abortion services comply with the requirements of the Procedures for the Approval of Independent Sector Places for the Termination of Pregnancy, published in May 2014.

Jane Ellison: All independent sector places undertaking termination of pregnancy are required to comply with:   - the Abortion Act 1967 and regulations made under that Act; - the requirements set out in regulations made under the Health and Social Care Act 2008; and - the Required Standard Operating Procedures (RSOPs) published in May 2014, incorporating new guidance relating to the legal requirements of the Abortion Act.   The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is responsible for ensuring that the requirements under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 are maintained through a system of monitoring and, where appropriate, inspection visits. If a CQC inspection identifies instances of non-compliance with the Health and Social Care Act and Regulations then appropriate regulatory action will be taken. Action will similarly be taken where providers are found not to be acting in accordance with the Abortion Act and RSOPs.

Dental Services: Sussex

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has for the future funding of dental services in Mid Sussex.

Dr Daniel Poulter: The funding of dental services is a matter for NHS England.   We are advised by NHS England that its Surrey and Sussex Area Team is fully committed to the current dental budget in the area. All existing contractual arrangements with providers of NHS dental services in the area will continue at the current level of funding.

Walking

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding his Department allocated to projects aimed at increasing walking between (a) 2005 and 2010 and (b) 2010 and 2014.

Jane Ellison: Between 2005 and 2010, the Department of Health funded the following:   - in 2008, Schools on the Move £500,000; - in 2008, Step-O-Meter programme £290,000; - in 2009, a Section 64 Grant of £1.8 million to Walk England for Active Challenge Routes; - in 2009, the Department awarded £800,000 to deliver the Walking once a Week scheme, focusing on areas outside London with high levels of childhood obesity; and - from 2008 to 2010, the Department funded £5.2 million for Walking for Health.   Between 2010 and 2014, the Department of Health funded the following:   - in 2013, we funded £1.2 million over two years, through Department for Transport, for five walking cities – Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds/Bradford, Norwich and Cambridge.

General Practitioners

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department collects separate figures on the numbers of locum, temporary, part-time and agency GPs hired on the latest GP contracts.

Dr Daniel Poulter: Data is not centrally collected on numbers or details of general practitioner (GP) locums, temporary staff or agency staff.   Data is not collected centrally on part-time workers. However, the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) collects figures separately on overall full time equivalent and headcount for all GP contracts. Data is available at the HSCIC website:   http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB13849

General Practitioners

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the current GP contract allows a GP who is classified as a part-time GP with an FTE of less than 1.0 to be employed also as a locum or agency doctor.

Dr Daniel Poulter: There are no specific regulations on this issue. As independent contractors, it is for each individual practice to determine what staff they employ to assist them in the delivery of NHS Primary Medical Services.   GP practices must ensure any staff they engage are both suitably qualified and competent to carry out the duties for which they are engaged.

Obesity: Diabetes

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the proposed NHS England National Obesity Plan will include specific measures relating to diabetes.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what organisations will be responsible for the implementation of the nationwide obesity plan, announced by NHS England in December 2014.

Jane Ellison: A new National Diabetes Prevention Programme was announced in the NHS Five Year Forward View, published by NHS England in October 2014. It will be overseen by the new Prevention Programme Board which will include representation from Public Health England, NHS England, Diabetes UK and other partners.The membership of the Board is currently being finalised.

Drugs: Scotland

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what mechanisms are in place for engagement and joint working between NICE and the Scottish Medicines Consortium for (a) sharing best practice in the early access of medicines in the UK, (b) avoiding duplication in the licensing of medicines and (c) promotion of the UK for inward investment into research, clinical trials and manufacture of medicines.

George Freeman: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides guidance and advice to improve health and social care in England and details of how NICE works with other organisations to fulfil its statutory functions can be found in its framework agreement available at:   www.nice.org.uk   NICE does not have a formal agreement with the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) but wherever appropriate will engage with the SMC, and in particular will invite the SMC to be a stakeholder in guidance development.   NICE supports the early access of medicines in a number of ways. In addition to formal guidance on new treatments, NICE also publishes Evidence Summaries on new medicines on a monthly basis to support the introduction of new medicines and existing medicines with new indications. Since 2012, NICE has published over 140 evidence summaries on new medicines.   NICE is not responsible for the licensing of medicines but works closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency which issues the marketing authorisation (licence) for all new medicines to ensure information on the safety and effectiveness of those medicines being evaluated by NICE is shared appropriately to facilitate decision making in timely fashion.  With regard to the promotion of inward investment into research, clinical trials and manufacture of medicines, NICE provides a fee-for-service consultation to pharmaceutical companies to advise on early product development plans on whether these will generate relevant evidence for future submissions to NICE and other evaluations to enable market access. To date, NICE has worked with over 30 different organisations in a wide variety of clinical areas.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Dr William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the devolved administrations on increases in attendances at A&E departments.

Jane Ellison: As health is a devolved matter Ministers do not routinely discuss health issues with their counterparts. However, research and evidence of best practice is made widely available throughout the United Kingdom.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether any of the new marginal tariff payments proposed by NHS England for specialised services activity will be zero.

Jane Ellison: The proposed gain and risk share arrangement for acute specialised services would operate on the following basis: if the actual value of relevant activity undertaken by the provider is higher than the base value of specialised services 2013-14 activity levels, then the provider will receive 50% of the value of this over-performance. If the actual value of relevant activity undertaken by the provider is lower than the base value, then the provider will benefit from receiving 50% of the difference between actual performance and the base value. If the actual contract value equals the base value, then no payment adjustment will be required. A provider would have a base value of zero if they had no contract for the provision of prescribed specialised services, in which case this new policy would not affect them.

Social Services

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many complex social discharges there were in each of the last four years for which figures are available.

Norman Lamb: The information is not collected centrally.

General Practitioners: Private Sector

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of private health companies which have taken on contracts to run GP practices have left the contract before completing it in (a) England and (b) Birmingham in the last five years.

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of GP practices are privately owned; and what research he has conducted on differences between privately owned and NHS GP practices in hospital admission rates, cancer survival rates, waiting times and other measures of quality.

Dr Daniel Poulter: The Department does not hold this information centrally.   GP practices are independent contractors who work under contract with NHS England to provide patients with NHS primary medical services.

NHS: Private Patients

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what legal costs the NHS has incurred relating to admissions to the NHS from private hospitals in the last five years for which information is available.

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost to the NHS of admissions from private hospitals was in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Jane Ellison: The Department does not hold this information.

Social Services: Older People

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many pensioners gave up their right to the state pension to enter social care in (a) Ribble Valley constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) England in each of the last three years.

Norman Lamb: People who receive local authority arranged care and support do not give up the right to receive the state pension. Local authority support for meeting the costs of care and support is means tested. Following a financial assessment, those who can afford to will contribute towards the cost of their care.   People receiving care and support in care homes will be required to contribute to the costs from their income, but local authorities are required to leave them with a minimum amount of income for personal expenses. This Personal Expenses Allowance (PEA) is currently set at £24.40 per week. It will rise to £24.90 per week in April. Local authorities have discretion to set a higher PEA in certain circumstances. People above state pension age who have income above the threshold for receiving the savings credit element of Pension Credit will retain a further £5.75 per week for a single person or £8.60 per week for a couple.   Where people received local authority support with care and support in their own home the local authority is required to ensure that their income is not reduced bellow basic levels of Income Support or the Guaranteed Credit of Pension Credit plus a buffer of 25%.

Kidney Diseases

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of kidney disease.

Jane Ellison: A Renal Specialised Commissioning Intelligence Dataset is being produced which will focus on indicators along the pathway for renal disease, including lifestyle and clinical risk factors, such as the better control of high blood pressure.   The Be Clear on Cancer ‘Blood in Pee’ campaign focusses on a symptom common to bladder and kidney cancers and also to kidney disease, which may help increase rates of diagnosis.

Health Visitors: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many health visitors were employed in Warrington in each year since 2009.

Dr Daniel Poulter: Information showing the number of qualified health visitors in Warrington by specified organisation as at 30 September for each specified year is shown in the following table.Full time equivalent 20092010201120122013September 2014All specified organisations4338102159170189Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Trust--102159170189Warrington Primary Care Trust4338----   Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre NHS Hospital and Community Health Service (HCHS) Non-Medical Workforce Census HCHS provisional monthly workforce statistics   Notes: '-' denotes zeroThese statistics relate to the contracted positions within English NHS organisations and may include those where the person assigned to the position is temporarily absent, for example on maternity leave.2009 to 2013 data is taken from the Non-Medical Workforce Census as at 30 September in each specified year.2014 data is taken from the provisional monthly workforce statistics as at 30 September.As from 21 July 2010 the Health and Social Care Information Centre has published provisional monthly NHS workforce data. As expected with provisional statistics, some figures may be revised from month to month as issues are uncovered and resolved. The monthly workforce data is not directly comparable with the annual workforce census; it only includes those staff on the Electronic Staff Record (i.e. it does not include Primary care staff or Bank staff). There are also new methods of presenting data (headcount methodology is different and there is now a role count). This information is available from September 2009 onwards at the following website: www.hscic.gov.ukThe Health and Social Care Information Centre seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where changes impact on figures already published, this is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed.

Community Nurses: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many district or community nurses were employed in Warrington in each year since 2009.

Dr Daniel Poulter: Information on the number of qualified community nursing staff (excluding health visitors) in Warrington by specified organisation as at 30 September for each specified year is shown on the attached table. 



Qualified nursing staff- Warrington, 2009-14
(Word Document, 18.25 KB)

Kidney Diseases: Ethnic Groups

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department's strategy is for addressing the disproportionally higher incidence of kidney disease from BAME communities.

Jane Ellison: The National Health Service Health Check programme raises awareness of kidney disease among participants by assessing and discussing, among others, the risk factors for this disease with participants. Local authorities can commission the programme to target those populations most at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as black and ethnic minority groups.   Public Health England's (PHE’s) recent publication Tackling high blood pressure: from evidence into action highlights the links between hypertension and kidney disease and sets out PHE’s ambition for improving the prevention, detection and management of high blood pressure across England.   A Renal Specialised Commissioning Intelligence Dataset is being produced and will focus on indicators along the pathway for renal disease, including lifestyle and clinical risk factors, such as the better control of high blood pressure.   The Dataset will enable the assessment of local variation in outcomes, highlighting the necessity for local healthcare providers to allocate resources according to their population needs.   The NHS Choices website includes a page providing awareness of kidney health, specifically for black and Asian communities. It is available at:   http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Kidneyhealth/Pages/BlackandAsiankidneyhealth.aspx

Merseyside

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much of his Department's budget was allocated to (a) Wirral and (b) Birkenhead in 2013-14.

Dr Daniel Poulter: The funding allocation provided to Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group in 2013-14 was £445,168,000 and this allocation covered all areas within the Wirral region, including Birkenhead. Clinical Commissioning Group allocations are not further disaggregated by area.

Hospital Beds

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken in the last two months to reduce instances of delayed discharge at NHS healthcare providers in England.

Norman Lamb: The Government has provided a record £700 million to support the health and care system through this winter, and all areas should have local plans in place that include processes to minimise delayed discharges.   From April this year, £5.3 billion worth of pooled budgets in the Better Care Fund will support areas to join up health and social care to reduce emergency admissions to hospital and get people out of hospital more quickly.

Hospital Beds

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will review the adequacy of the number of escalation beds available to NHS healthcare providers in winter 2014-15.

Jane Ellison: It is for local providers and commissioners to work together to ensure the necessary number of escalation beds are available in winter.   The Government has supported National Health Service preparedness for winter by providing £700 million, £300 million more than last year, in extra funding. This funding is paying for thousands of additional beds including in the acute, general and social care sectors.

Accident and Emergency Departments: West Midlands

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will review the adequacy of the capacity of A&E services in the West Midlands.

Jane Ellison: The provision of services, including accident and emergency (A&E) services is a matter for the local National Health Service.   This Government has given the NHS a record £700 million this winter for more doctors, nurses and beds. The NHS, including in the West Midlands, has ensured there are plans in every area to manage the extra demand.   NHS England’s urgent and emergency care review is looking at ways to improve the system to ease pressures on A&E departments. In the long term we are supporting NHS England’s Five Year Forward View which will transform hospital care and reduce pressures on A&E services.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations his Department has received from NHS healthcare providers on the number of elective operations cancelled in the last two months.

Jane Ellison: The Department is in frequent contact with National Health Service organisations, including healthcare providers, and regularly seeks their views on a wide range of issues, including the cancellation of elective operations.

Hospital Beds

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations his Department has received from NHS healthcare providers on instances of delayed discharge at hospitals in England in the last month.

Norman Lamb: The Department is in frequent contact with National Health Service organisations, including healthcare providers, and regularly seeks their views on a wide range of issues including delayed hospital discharges.

Tobacco: Packaging

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2014 to the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion, to Question 218766, by what date he plans to make a decision on whether to introduce standardised packaging of tobacco products; and what the reason is for the time taken to reach that decision.

Jane Ellison: The Government has not yet made a final decision on whether to introduce standardised packaging of tobacco products.   The Government must follow a thorough and robust decision making process. All the relevant evidence and other information are being carefully considered before a final decision is made.

NHS: Management Consultants

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Government's response to the Health Select Committee's Fifth Report of 2008-09 on the use of management consultants in the NHS and the Department of Health, HC 28, whether his Department initiated talks with the Management Consultancies Association (MCA) on its members' engagement with the NHS; and what formal meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department have had with the MCA since then.

Dr Daniel Poulter: Department officials discussed and agreed a concordat with the Management Consultancies Association (MCA) in 2009 and early 2010. Several meetings between officials and the MCA were held subsequently from May 2010 under the new Government, although no Ministers have met with the MCA since May 2010.

Organs: Donors

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of people from BAME backgrounds in (a) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency and (b) the North West have registered on the organ donation register.

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of people from BAME backgrounds in (a) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency and (b) the North West are currently on the organ donation waiting list.

Jane Ellison: The proportion of people from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background in Liverpool Wavertree and the North West on the Organ Donor Register and on the active transplant list (both as at 12 January 2015) are shown in the tables below.   Proportion on the Organ Donor Register   AreaWhiteBAMEEthnicity not reported on ODRPercentage of BAME reported on ODRWavertree6,60833918,0344.9%North West520,62313,5051,604,4462.5% Source: NHS Blood and Transplant Proportion on the active transplant list AreaWhiteBAMEEthnicity not reported on active listTotalWavertree3205North West67214617835 Source: NHS Blood and Transplant

Kidney Diseases

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support his Department has provided to Kidney Research UK's Peer Education Programme.

Jane Ellison: The Department has provided Kidney Research UK with £50,000.00 over two years to run the Peer Educator Project within the Pakistani Muslim community in Birmingham. The project’s aim is to raise awareness about the need for stem cell and organ donation.   The peer educator model trains local lay people from the community to talk to their peers about the risks of kidney disease; about behavioural changes in lifestyle that can reduce risk; and about the shortage of kidneys available for transplant. Results of the project can be found at the Kidney Research UK website:   www.kidneyresearchuk.org   The project was officially launched in June 2014 and I met some of the peer educators in November to discuss their experience of working to increase donor numbers of people from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

Women and Equalities

Homophobia

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to tackle homophobic bullying.

Jo Swinson: This Government has made tackling bullying in schools, including homophobic bullying, a top priority. It is unacceptable for anyone to be victimised, harmed or bullied in any way.All schools must have a behaviour policy which includes measures to prevent and tackle all forms of bullying and the Government has provided schools with advice which sets out the steps that schools can take to identify and prevent bullying effectively. We also recently announced a new £2million fund to support projects which specifically tackle homophobic bullying in schools.Discrimination and harassment on the grounds of sexual orientation is unlawful in the workplace and in the provision of services. The Government has continued to highlight the benefits of a diverse workforce, and how employees can be supported, by publishing research ‘Barriers to employers in developing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender friendly workplaces’ and ‘The Business Case for Equality and Diversity’.